TUCSON, Ariz. - (KGUN) — Right in time for Spring graduation at the University of Arizona, KGUN 9 is celebrating some outstanding seniors taking the next step in their journey.
In this series highlighting 'Outstanding Students,' twin sisters have made the most of their senior year.
As both of them take on exciting new opportunities to explore as engineers, they said they will have each others' back.
Kelsey and Maesy Ramirez Macías share more than just part of their DNA. "I think we're more alike than we care to admit," Kelsey said.
Growing up in Yuma, the twins said they had brothers and uncles to look to as working engineers — A career field they wanted to pursue. Their next decision was deciding which kind of engineering they'd each study.
"Once I had just gone into engineering, it was just a matter of deciding the discipline," Maesy Ramirez Macías shared. "And systems is kind of like a little bit of everything, so it's a good place to start off."
It turned out both sisters found a calling in systems engineering. Having each other as a support has been a common thread in their academic journey.
While still in school at the Arizona Western College, Kelsey was recovering after she donated a kidney to her brother. But Maesy was there, too, and they started taking all their classes together.
"She could help me," Kelsey explained. "And then after that, then it kind of lined that we had the same classes left to take. So we're like, 'OK, we might as well just take them together.'"
By the time their junior year rolled around, Kelsey and Maesy transferred to the University of Arizona. Because of COVID-19 measures, however, both said this past senior year felt like their first true couple of semesters on campus.
"I know my parents, they were worried about us, leaving home for the first time and whatnot," Maesy said. " I know both of my parents were much more like OK with it because we weren't alone."
Fast forward to May 2022, the Ramirez Macías sisters twins are eager to find their own paths as professionals. Maesy has her internship at Raytheon, while Kelsey will head to a similar experience at Northrop Grumman.
Both said they're proud of each other's hard work and dedication.
"She had been trying to apply and get to other places," Maesy said of Kelsey, "But she kept getting rejected, but i knew she was more than qualified."
Her sister shared some encouraging words about Maesy.
"She's a teaching assistant for a class," Kelsey said of Maesy. "She's able to help a student, or someone tells her, 'You're so helpful'... because these are things I've always known about her."
They'll have time to celebrate spring graduation, but only for a little bit. The sisters, confident their education isn't over yet, are coming back to campus to finish their accelerated Masters' program.
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José Zozaya is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. Before arriving in southern Arizona, José worked in Omaha, Nebraska where he covered issues ranging from local, state and federal elections, to toxic chemical spills, and community programs impacting immigrant families. Share your story ideas and important issues with José by emailing jose.zozaya@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
