California twin sisters graduate high school the top 2 in their class

Twin sisters Valerie and Vanessa Gonzalez have done almost everything together, including finishing high school at the top of their class.

The 17-year-olds are set to graduate from Pacific High School in San Bernardino, California, this month. Valerie is valedictorian, completing her senior year with a 4.62 GPA, and Vanessa is right behind her — she has a GPA of 4.61, and will serve as salutatorian. "We definitely relied on each other," Vanessa told the San Bernardino Sun. "We would help each other on essays on how to explain main points. We studied together for tests."

Combined, Valerie and Vanessa took 18 Advanced Placement classes, but also found time to participate in extracurricular activities. Their principal, Natalie Raymundo, told the Sun the sisters are "great examples of exactly what we hope for our students. They're well-rounded, have a lot of experience, and do their work with flair, with humility and integrity. They make us proud."

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The twins will take separate paths this fall, with Valerie studying environmental science at the University of California Riverside and Vanessa heading to UCLA to major in biochemistry.