Four years after finishing at the top of their middle school class, triplets Aaron, Brandon and Christopher Williams-Orr have now conquered high school - and have made up their minds regarding what's next.
NBC Chicago first met with the trio in 2021, prior to their enrollment at Providence St. Mel School in the city's East Garfield Park neighborhood.
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WATCH HERENow, the triplets are all headed to the University of Illinois this fall, with each looking to chart their own academic path.
"We won’t leave each other behind, and we’re all at the next level together," Brandon said.
The words echo a similar sentiment from four years prior.
"We have someone to talk to. Having my brothers here every day, being able to go home and see them, and for example we can help each other with homework, help each other with sports, teaching each other."
Brandon has his sight set on studying computer engineering at the University of Illinois.
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Aaron is looking to study business in hopes of starting his own one day, while Christopher, who once wanted to be a mathematics teacher, has shifted his focus to political science/
"I want to rewrite the stereotypes that are on Black people," Christopher said. "I want people to have a more positive image when they think of Black people in America."
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SIGN UP The trio attribute their success to their parents, who always ensured they had their work done before fun.
"They kept pushing us from a young age," Christopher said. "When we were little, my mom and my dad had us spelling words all over the wall, they made sure we knew how to spell, read and write and everything else like that."
This is the 47th year that Providence St. Mel has all of its senior class accepted to four-year colleges and universities.
"We believe in hard work and have really high expectations," academic administrator Dan Wessel said. "We're really happy to start celebrating another graduating class."
