Identical twins, Trieu and Truc were born in the coastal Floridian town of Port St. Lucie. It is a beautiful seaside town named after the feast day of Roman Catholic Saint Lucia. “We don’t remember anything about living in Florida,” the brothers said. Our parents relocated to Bristol, Virginia for work and so this region is all we know. “We love it here,” the brothers both said.
The brothers are one of three sets of identical twins in their family. “We are the middle twins. Unlike some twins, we are very, very similar. Not only do we look alike, but we have the same interests,” Trieu said.
“We both have never played sports, none at all!” Truc said.
“We were never good at sports,” Trieu said. “We enjoy less physically-demanding activities like playing video games.”
“And speedcubing,” Truc said. Speedcubing is a hobby where competitors have to solve a combination of puzzles. The goal is typically to solve the puzzle as quickly as possible. There are different methods for speedcubing including the “CFOP method,” and the less efficient method the “Layer-by-Layer,” which is a technique suited toward beginners.
“We also dress the same,” as you can see,” Truc said. Both boys had matching shirts, pants, sneakers, and jackets. “Our closet is organized with two sets of the same clothes. It just makes things easier.”
At the end of high school, the brothers both attended Virginia Highlands Community College, graduated at the same time, and applied to King. Being local, they were familiar with the school, well aware of King’s great reputation, and upon being accepted, both brothers enrolled. But they said they couldn’t have made this dream happen without the generosity of the Orr Scholarship. “We wouldn’t have been able to attend King without this assistance. We are very grateful,” Trieu said.
They explain that having the small class size at King has been extremely beneficial, especially with having access to the professors, building relationships with fellow students, and making the learning experience more personal.
Originally, both brothers considered pursuing their studies in accounting but soon switched to IT Cyber Security. They are both juniors and are planning to graduate in the summer of ’22. Both brothers are hoping that they will be able to work together in the same company upon graduation.
When they aren’t studying, practicing speedcubing, or playing video games, the brothers put in hours employed as student workers for the admissions department. “We are learning a lot to this day,” Truc said. “We enjoy the environment, the team, and the work ethic that we have gained!”
The brothers say that they hope to stay in Bristol, find good jobs where they can continue to learn, and improve on their skillsets. “It really isn’t so much about the money for us,” Trieu said. “The money will come. We just want to be able to find good jobs where we can learn the most, stay in Bristol, and hopefully work together.”