Tampa twins finish as Gaither High School co-valedictorians with 8.24 GPAs

TAMPA, Fla. - Everything Abigail and Annabelle Smith have done in life, they’ve done together. From the biggest milestones to the smallest everyday moments, it has all led to this.

High school academic success

The Gaither High School twins are officially the graduating Class of 2026 co-valedictorians.

"It feels great, like all our hard work paid off through all four years of high school," Annabelle said.

For the Smith sisters, this wasn't just a happy accident—it was a blueprint they designed themselves.

The backstory:

"This was our goal since our freshman year," Abigail shared. "We always knew from the beginning we wanted to tie for it. We wanted to be together."

"Our whole life, it's not really been a competition against each other," Annabelle added. "We just both wanted to succeed with each other. We made sure to take the exact same credits so we would have the same GPA."

That strategic planning paid off. The duo tied for the top spot with a whopping 8.24 GPA.

Maintaining that academic perfection wasn't easy, but having a built-in best friend and motivator kept them going.

What they're saying:

"She makes me want to try harder," Abigail said of her sister. "I see what she's doing, and I'm like, 'I should do that too.' She holds me accountable."

Annabelle echoed the sentiment: "She definitely inspires me to do better. I feel like having a twin is having someone that shows you what you can be."

University plans this fall

While they conquered high school as a team, this fall will look very different. For the first time in their lives, the twins are going their separate ways to make a name for themselves—though both are doing so on full scholarships.

Abigail is headed north to Boston University to study journalism, while Annabelle will stay in-state at the University of Florida to pursue a degree in finance.

"It's definitely hard, but I know that we'll be calling each other all the time," Abigail said.

"It's going to be weird," Annabelle admitted. "I think the most we've ever been away from each other is like one week max. But obviously, I'm so proud of her. That's a great opportunity to go out of state, and I'm definitely happy for her."

Staying at the top of their class while navigating the pressures of high school was a constant fight, but the twins credit their success to the deep love of their family. With a little sister just a year behind them, the girls joked that they sometimes felt like triplets walking the halls of Gaither High. "People say that all the time," they laughed, looking at a family photo.

"My little sister and both of my parents have helped me so much throughout this whole process," Abigail said. "Whenever I was feeling overwhelmed, they were always there."

"We've had a great support system," Annabelle agreed. "I feel like that is definitely part of the reason we were able to do this. Mentally, it's definitely been draining, but it's all worth it in the end."

When Abigail and Annabelle stand on the graduation stage to deliver their joint commencement speech, they each have a distinct piece of advice they hope their peers carry with them.

Abigail's message is this: "Do what you want with your life and don't let certain social expectations set your limits."

And Annabelle's message: "Treat every second of your life to keep pushing forward. Don't think just because you've had one or two setbacks things will crumble in front of you. You always have a chance to rebuild."

From here on out, life will look vastly different for Abigail and Annabelle. But no matter how many miles grow between Boston and Gainesville, a part of each twin will live on in the other forever.