On Sept. 26, 1991 at 6:43 a.m., junior Kelsey Rutledge was born. Seventeen minutes later her fraternal twin sister Kaitlyn was born.

Kaitlyn and Kelsey’s parents had been trying to have kids for seven years before they found out that they were not only going to have one child, but a pair of twin girls.

“It wasn’t exactly hard for me having twins, considering I had never had any kids before,” mother Debbie Rutledge said. “I didn’t know any different.”
Growing up the two have been more different than alike. Kaitlyn dances and Kelsey plays Basketball.
Kaitlyn is two inches taller, has dark hair and wears make-up. Kelsey has light hair and doesn’t
typically wear make-up.
“Pretty much everything is different between them,” Debbie said. “Kaitlyn is more the leader and Kelsey is the follower. Kaitlyn is more outspoken and a go-getter while Kelsey is shy.
“Kelsey, as a kid, always wanted to be by herself but Kaitlyn wanted someone to play with all the time. Kelsey would be reading a book and Kaitlyn would get upset and ask ‘Why is Kelsey mad at me?’’
Their friends also notice differences between them.
“They are really different and unique at the same time,” friend Jamie Brannan said. “Kaitlyn is more outgoing and loud and Kelsey is more quiet and laid back.”
Between sports, clubs, and schoolwork, the girls don’t see each other that often during the school week. When they do have free time they like to work out together. They enjoy being twins and spending time together when they can.
“A lot of the time we get the same homework and it’s almost like having a friend to help,” Kaitlyn said. “And since we are the same age we can relate to each other instead of having an annoying younger sibling.”
Growing up, the girls have learned to become independent people. The girls have learned that they don’t have to be connected at the hip. The girls have learned that if they need each other, they will always be there for each other.
“I always like knowing I have someone to go to,” Kelsey said. “She will always love me no matter what.”
As for their future, Kaitlyn plans to go to school to be a pharmacist while Kelsey plans to be an engineer. They plan on attending separate colleges to suit their individual career paths.
“Going our separate ways probably will be a little harder for me than I think it will be,” Kaitlyn said. “We have always shared a room; it will feel weird not having her there. Some people sleep with a night light, but I have always shared a room with Kelsey. So in a way, she’s my night light.”