Double cause for celebration

Identical twins Renee (left) and Stephanie Oliver (22) prepare to graduate from the University of...
Identical twins Renee (left) and Stephanie Oliver (22) prepare to graduate from the University of Otago. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery
This afternoon will cap off years of study for identical  twins Renee  and Stephanie  Oliver  when they graduate together from the University of Otago.

Renee will be capped with a bachelor of applied science degree in consumer food science, and Stephanie will graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in geography and anthropology, at the Dunedin Town Hall. Their three siblings, Shardae, Chelsea and Hannah — all former Otago students — and their parents will be looking on. Renee faced one huge challenge when she was diagnosed with acute leukaemia at the age of 2. But early treatment and strong family support helped her overcome that by the age of 5.

The twins went to  Piopio Primary School, south of Te Kuiti, and Wanganui Collegiate School.

In their first year at Otago,  they  stayed at Unicol.  After  a year as next-door neighbours in Castle St, they flatted together for two years, first at Cosy Dell,  then in Queen St.

When they were neighbours, "virtually every day I’d be running over to her room to borrow some clothes and she’d be running over to borrow mine,"  Stephanie said.

"We would definitely help each other [with academic advice]," Renee said.

"We know each other really, really well."

And if the odd emergency arose, and money had run out to buy some necessary item, she would think: "It’s OK, I’ve got my twin sister" to help out.

They also shared a passion for netball, playing  competitively  for the university’s Physed Netball Club, as well as in a university social  team.

The twins come from a sheep and beef station near Aria, in the King Country. Renee was "glad" to have studied at Otago with her sister, and there had been absolutely no homesickness.

Shardae, an Auckland lawyer and an Otago law graduate, will graduate next Saturday with a second Otago degree after completing her earlier studies.

Stephanie said  their strong mutual support  throughout their studies included having many cups of tea together. At times,  some  student classmates started mistakenly talking to the wrong sister. Stephanie, an arts student, required permission to graduate with her twin at today’s ceremony, which mainly focused on health sciences and biomedical sciences.

"That’s really cool, graduating with a twin," she said.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz

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