It is just half the story! Eight Nursing Students Share a Special Bond, Each has a Twin!

An unusual discovery occurred during Associate Clinical Professor, Dr. Ann Lambert’s Leadership class. For a class warm up, students participate in the “All about Me - Four Corners Game.” They are asked to move to one of the following corners and meet someone new. Corner 1 is for only children; corner 2 is for students with 1-2 siblings; corner 3 is for students with 3 or more siblings; or corner 4 is for students with a twin. Corner 4 had eight students! Twins in college is normal, but 8 of a pair in one classroom is quite unusual! Claire Eagan, Riley Hartwell, Laura Herren, Jane Newberry, Sydney Oyler, Gabby Rogers, Mary Logan Sefton, and Ginny Wilder certainly share a new bond. Here’s their story …

Gabby Rogers, from Vienna, Va., fell in love with the Auburn campus when she was on a visit. “AUSON has given me the tools and knowledge to become a competent nurse and prepared me for the schedule that nurses must follow. My twin, Sammy, is a psychology major at Christopher Newport University in Norfolk, Va.

“Sammy and I were together 24/7, played the same sports, and shared just about everything from friends to clothes. She has always been someone that I can talk to without being judgmental. We were inseparable, so I anticipate us living close to each other when we graduate.” Rogers plans to work in an ICU unit in Tennessee or Virginia after graduation in 2022 and advance to a CRNA program.

Birmingham native Sydney Oyler decided she wanted to be a nurse after undergoing an appendectomy when she was in high school. Her twin is a public relations major at Auburn. “The best thing about being a twin is always having someone by your side to do things with and experience life.”

Riley Hartwell is from Clarksville Tenn. Riley and her twin were premature babies and bonded at the NICU at Vanderbilt Hospital.

Best thing about being a twin? “Always having someone to speak to!” Her twin majored in Human development and family science at Auburn and currently works in Opelika.

San Francisco native Jane Newberry moved to Madison, Ala., when she was in middle school. She always wanted to be a nurse since she was 9 when her twin was in a bad accident. The level of comfort provided by the nurses was something she wanted to be able to do. Nursing runs in the family: both her mother and grandmother are nurses.

The close-knit community of Auburn drew her to the university. “I have had people call out 'War Eagle' everywhere (including Italy!). “By offering me numerous educational opportunities and diverse clinical experiences, AUSON has prepared me immeasurably for my future. I feel comfortable moving forward given that I have had so many experiences in many different healthcare and hospital settings.”

Best thing about being a twin? “You always have a friend, and you go through the same stages of life at the same time! My fraternal twin and I have a very close relationship, it is nice to always have a friend going through the same life transitions as you. We share a love for the medical field but in different ways — I prefer more patient interaction while she wants to be an orthopedic surgeon. I hope to go into pediatric hematology/oncology and eventually get my NP and DNP degree after critical care experience.”

Claire Eagen, from Eugene, Ore., chose Auburn because she loved the idea of living in a college town. “AUSON has given me so many opportunities to grow as a student and a leader,” she said.

Twins run in the family! Eagen’s twin, Lauren, is an accounting student at Southern Methodist University. Her two younger brothers, also identical twins, are freshmen at Colorado State University and Kansas University.

Best thing about being a twin? “Always have someone to go to with your problems and to vent! My sister and I are very close but very independent. Our personalities are very different, but our sense of humor is the same.”

When Eagen graduates in August 2022, she plans to move to San Diego to start her nursing career.

Mary Logan Sefton, from Pike Road, Ala., chose to come to Auburn because of its family atmosphere. “I grew up visiting Auburn and couldn’t wait to study here. I had always wanted to be a nurse because it was one way I could serve people by meeting their practical needs. AUSON presents a well-rounded teaching approach and provides opportunities for learning outside the classroom through leadership organizations like the Wellness Committee.”

Her fraternal twin, Annesley, graduated from Auburn and is currently in grad school at Montevallo studying to be a speech language pathologist. Best thing about being a twin? “We’re best friends, although we are different in a lot of ways.”

Sefton hopes to become a pediatric ER nurse when she graduates and hopes to become a nurse practitioner.

Laura Herren is from Birmingham. “I have always been interested in healthcare, and it was immediately confirmed when I shadowed a Labor & Delivery nurse. I love the challenge, the critical thinking, the hands-on care, and the personal elements of nursing.” Her twin brother is working towards a mechanical engineering degree at Mississippi State University.

Best thing about being a twin? “A built-in adventure buddy, and the first person I go to for advice. We love to go on road trips and discover new music together. It’s great to have a guy for a twin, because we have very different and equally helpful insight into our own worlds.”

Ginny Wilder is from Spanish Fort, Ala. Wilder chose Auburn because it felt like home. “I love the environment and how everyone is part of the Auburn family.” Until recently, she was the only one in her family that chose to go to Auburn. Her younger sister just joined her. “Everyone else in the family is a ‘Bama’ fan!”

Her twin brother is a business major at the University of Alabama. Best thing about being a twin? Having a built-in bestie! “My twin is a senior at the University of Alabama with a double major in management and marketing with a concentration in entrepreneurship.”

She has always loved serving others. “AUSON has reminded me why I chose nursing in the first place. It all comes back to patient care, much emphasized in the school. Human interaction is what motivated me to take up nursing as a profession.” Wilder hopes to become a pediatric oncologist.

So now you know the other half of the story.

Twins pictured from L to R, Front Row: Laura Herren, Mary Logan Sefton, Sydney Oyler, Riley Hartwell. Back Row, L to R: Gabby Rogers, Jane Newberry, Claire Eagen and Ginny Wilder.

War Eagle!