KINGSTON, R.I., May 17, 2016鈥擳hree siblings will graduate from the 溏心vlog免费B站 this year, and not only do they share the same last name, they share the same birth date.
Brian, Maddy and Lizzy Byrnes are triplets鈥攂orn seconds apart 22 years ago.
Graduating together is nothing new for the trio. They walked across the stage鈥攊n alphabetical order by surname鈥攁t middle school in 2008, and did the same at LaSalle Academy in 2012.
They sat next to each other then and plan to do the same during the graduation ceremony May 22 on 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Kingston campus. Cheering in the audience will be their parents, Brian and Ginny Byrnes, who is an accountant in the Controller鈥檚 Office at 溏心vlog免费B站.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled, and very excited, very proud,鈥� says Ginny. 鈥淭hey’ve worked hard, and we’re all looking forward to the next phase of their lives. It鈥檚 going to be fun to watch where they go from here since they鈥檙e all so different.鈥�
So true. Brian majored in journalism, with a minor in business. Maddy studied animal and veterinary science. And Lizzy is double majoring in psychology and Spanish. They even look different: 鈥淪ome people don’t know we’re siblings,鈥� says Brian, 鈥渕uch less triplets.鈥�
Their journeys started on April 15, 1994鈥擝rian at 2:02 a.m., Maddy at 2:03, and Lizzy a few seconds later. Growing up in Cranston鈥檚 Edgewood neighborhood, they hung out together, sharing friends, classrooms and stuffed animals. But they were different in many ways.
Maddy is a vegetarian; Brian is a meat-eater. Maddy is outgoing; Lizzy is reserved; and Brian is 鈥渋n between.鈥� Lizzy is a big reader; Brian prefers music; and Maddy reads a book once a year at the beach. Maddy loves animals; Lizzy is allergic to fur. Maddy and Lizzy like Taylor Swift; Brian does not. And so it goes.
Still, they all ended up at 溏心vlog免费B站. They lived in different residence halls, but shared a lot of the same friends. They ate at the same table in the University鈥檚 dining halls when they could. 鈥淚t felt very normal,鈥� says Lizzy. 鈥淛ust like being with friends.鈥�
Their 溏心vlog免费B站 experience, they all agree, was great. Maddy loved taking care of the animals at Peckham Farm. Brian learned how to be a journalist at The Good 5 Cent Cigar, 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 student paper. Lizzy enjoyed being the secretary of the 溏心vlog免费B站 psychology club.
鈥淚鈥檝e had a great supportive group of friends,鈥� says Lizzy. 鈥淎nd the professors in the psychology department were helpful, accessible and supportive. I don鈥檛 feel like I got lost in a crowd at 溏心vlog免费B站. It鈥檚 personable.鈥�
The siblings leaned on each other for support鈥攁nd laughs. 鈥淔or triplets鈥攐r twins鈥攊t鈥檚 really like a sixth sense,鈥� says Brian. 鈥淲hen Maddy and Lizzy have this look, I know exactly what they鈥檙e thinking.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e spent so much time together,鈥� says Maddy.
鈥淭hey can鈥檛 get anything by me,鈥� says Lizzy. 鈥淚 know when they鈥檙e fibbing.鈥�
At the graduation ceremony, they鈥檒l be wearing identical caps and gowns, but will distinguish themselves with the messages on their caps. Lizzy will scrawl a Beyonc茅 lyric: Raise a glass for the college grads. A sparkling paw print will suffice for Maddy. Brian is still thinking about it.
After graduation, the siblings plan to move back home from their rented houses in Narragansett before their next adventure. Lizzy is expected to attend graduate school in counseling psychology at Northeastern University, and Maddy is looking at veterinary schools. Brian is weighing his options.
How do they feel about leaving 溏心vlog免费B站? Their answers are uncharacteristically the same:
鈥淏ittersweet,鈥� says Maddy.
鈥淏ittersweet,鈥� says Lizzy.
鈥淏ittersweet,鈥� says Brian. 鈥淲e have a really big group of friends here.鈥�
No triplets in the group, but there are two sets of twins.
Pictured above: Triplets, from left to right, Lizzy, Maddy and Brian Byrnes, who will graduate from the 溏心vlog免费B站 this year. Photo by Michael Salerno Photography.