Twin valedictorians set to graduate from Golden Valley High School

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Twins Sonia and Amethyst Lumley do everything together, so it makes sense they'll also be among the two dozen valedictorians at Golden Valley High School in Merced.

"I just knew I was going to do the best I can in school," Sonia said. "The thought of being valedictorian at Golden Valley just amazes me."

Sonia is CSF president. Amethyst is student body president.

"Being able to go to college, achieve this goal and be valedictorian on top of all that is something that is really amazing," Amethyst said.

Their mother Vilma, a single mom, has only wanted the best for her girls.

"Since we were in kindergarten, she always enforced the idea that education will be your golden ticket to anywhere," Sonia said.

"On top of that, my mom came from Panama, so she's an immigrant," Amethyst said. "She didn't have the education we have access to, so she really pushed us."

The twins visited their elementary school, where their streak of straight A's began.

"Amethyst and Sonia are like family or friends so of course, they came back," says Weaver Elementary teacher Meliss Sanders. "I would have been surprised if they done anything else."

Distance learning during the pandemic has been difficult for many students, but Golden Valley Principal Kevin Swartwood said the Lumley sisters remained focused on their goals.

"They just focused on what can I do to improve and always look to the future," she said.

They ran track and played band together but come fall, the twins won't study together for the first time.

Sonia selected Notre Dame to study Political Science.

"For me, I know I want to be a federal district judge," she said.

Amethyst is headed to North Carolina.

"I always knew since I was little I wanted to work at NASA," she said.

Both know it will be a sad separation but is for the best.