Local Twins to Graduate Together at MiraCosta College Ceremony Nearly 50 Years After Dropping Out of High School

MiraCosta College today announced that its latest Adult High School graduating class includes a set of twin sisters, Carol Baker and Carolyn Baker-Lowery, who will walk across the stage together on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 6 p.m. Carol and Carolyn decided to return to school years ago and have studied side-by-side so that they could receive their diplomas together, nearly 50 years since they left high school as teenagers. 

“We have been looking forward to this moment for a long time,” shared Carolyn. “It will be one of the best days of our lives and we can’t wait to be up there and look out into the crowd to see our children and grandchildren.”
From an early age, Carol and Carolyn have been inseparable. Their mother owned a Winchell’s Donut House, and when they were young, they would fold boxes to help with the business. As they grew older, they graduated to work the service counter on Friday and Saturday nights while trying to keep up with their education. Yet despite being hard workers and social children, schoolwork always came as a challenge.

During their youth, there needed to be more awareness of student learning differences. The twin sisters felt most of their teachers and administrators simply assumed they couldn’t keep up. As a result, the twins had had enough of feeling like lost causes in the public high school system, and they spent a short period at a continuation high school. They both had become teen mothers and decided it would be best to enter the workforce instead of finishing high school. Carol became a social worker while Carolyn pursued a career as an in-home childcare provider/preschool teacher.

Then, more than 30 years after leaving high school, Carol found a reason to step back into the classroom. In 2006, Carol was volunteering at a local childcare development center, and she wanted to take on more responsibility; that decision meant more schooling. Unlike her childhood, this academic journey would be different. A few years earlier, Carol was evaluated and discovered she had ADHD and dyslexia, which helped improve her entire pathway to success.

Armed with a better understanding of her needs, Carol found a renewed passion for school. Thanks to the MiraCosta College disabled service counselors, she was able to develop a personal success plan that put her on track to receive her diploma. Class after class, she utilized every resource available. Even when she became fully disabled and her sister Carolyn had to move in to serve as her caretaker, Carol would spend hours on Zoom sessions with her professors until she understood a topic. Now roommates, Carolyn quickly took notice of her sister on Zoom sessions with professors all day.

Joked Carolyn, “At first I thought the girl had lost her mind, but then I couldn’t let her leave me behind. I asked what I would need to do to get my diploma too.”

Soon after, the two sisters, who had done almost everything together for over 60 years, made a new pact. They would align their courses so they could graduate together in 2023.

“It has been a hard journey,” shared Carol. “But it will all be worth it when we step on that stage with our caps and gowns, together!”

The MiraCosta College Adult High School graduation ceremony will occur this Thursday, May 25, at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Learning Center (1831 Mission Avenue, Oceanside). Media interested in covering the event or speaking to Carol Baker and Carolyn Baker-Lowery can reach out to Kristen Huyck at khuyck@miracosta.edu.

About MiraCosta College
The MiraCosta Community College District has served the coastal North San Diego County area for over 88 years. More than 19,000 credit students in over 80 disciplines enroll annually in associate degrees, university transfer, and workforce readiness certificate programs. The college also serves students with a wide spectrum of educational needs in the region ranging from programs for adult education, adults with disabilities, career preparation, older adults, and English as a Second Language (ESL). Additionally, students enjoy the fee-based programs through the District's Technology Career Institute in Carlsbad. MiraCosta College is one of 15 community colleges in California that offers bachelor's degrees to help students get jobs in high-demand fields. The college’s bachelor’s program in biomanufacturing prepares students to work in biological production, the unique segment of biotechnology where science thrives in partnership with quality and compliance.

As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), veteran and military supportive institution, and Achieving the Dream Leader College, MiraCosta College fosters the academic and holistic success of its diverse learners within a caring and equitable environment to strengthen the educational, economic, cultural, and social well-being of the communities it serves.

MiraCosta College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).