Identical twins Isla and Chloe Roxburgh could not be separated when it came to awarding their university Class Medal.
The 21-year-olds, from Dunfermline, joined classmates at the Usher Hall today (July 4) to graduate from Edinburgh Napier with BScs in Architectural Technology.
And it emerged that the high-flyers had performed so well academically – with virtually nothing between their marks – that leaders of the School of Engineering and the Built Environment had taken the highly unusual step of awarding them both a Class Medal.
As they celebrated their achievement, the former Queen Anne High pupils – who both got First Class degrees – told how the four-year course had been a mutually supportive rather than an ultra-competitive experience.
Chloe said: “We have different strengths and weaknesses so we were able to balance each other out and help the other whenever needed. It was just like having your best friend on your course.”
Isla added: “There hasn’t ever been competition between us – getting your honours degree is hard enough!”
The twins said lecturers found it difficult to tell them apart, and they were slightly concerned at the start of the course that they would be treated as a single person.
“This wasn’t the case at all,” said Chloe. “We ended up having a great relationship with our lecturers, and we were very much treated as individuals, which we really appreciated. They were super helpful in giving us feedback on our coursework and providing overall support.
“At High School, there were some people in our year who never knew there were two of us. They thought it was just the same person who had made slight changes to their appearance.”
Being university classmates had never been part of any long-term plan but, towards the end of high school, the sisters – who have an older sister, Holly, 24 – made separate decisions that they wanted to pursue a career in architecture.
Following their journey to graduation, Isla is employed as a technologist in Edinburgh, while Chloe is working as a designer in Perth. Edinburgh Napier may not have seen the last of them though; they are both considering coming back to the university to study for a Masters.
Professor Simeon Keates, Dean of the School of Engineering and the Built Environment, said: “Both Isla and Chloe have performed to an exceptionally high standard throughout their studies at Edinburgh Napier and there was virtually nothing in terms of marks to separate them, so the School Leadership Team decided on this occasion to take the unusual step of awarding two Class Medals.”
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