Thomas and Jonathan Banks: College-Bound Twins Achieve Top 10, Wall of Fame
We each have something different that motivates us to success. For Bolivar Central High School (BCHS) identical twin seniors Thomas and Jonathan Banks, their motivation for excelling in school was so they could grow and keep their hair long.
“A deal was made with the boys after Covid that they could keep their long hair as long as they kept their grades up,” said their parents, Bryan and Nicole Banks.
They both did more than manage to keep their grades up. Thomas and Jonathan will graduate ranked second and fifth, respectively, as two of the BCHS Top 10 Seniors and also have been named to the BCHS 2024 Wall of Fame.
Of course, their academic success in true form is due to more than being allowed to grow their hair. The boys grew up the sons of public school teachers who emphasized the importance of education. Both parents are teachers in the Fayette County Public Schools system in Tennessee. Nicole Banks is a teacher at East Junior High School and Bryan is a teacher at Fayette-Ware Comprehensive High School.
“Being both of us are public school teachers, they have grown up with an education emphasis with both academic and life skills. We have taught our boys to remember short term decisions can have long term consequences. We have tried to raise them to be honest, fair, and good men,” said Mrs. Banks. “We are very proud of our boys. It is hard to put in words how proud and excited we are for them to be in the Top 10 and the Wall Fame. They have worked hard to earn this accomplishment.”
The Banks have focused on raising well rounded children. Jonathan and Thomas love science, math, history, the outdoors, and gaming. From a young age, they loved watching Titanic documentaries and anything having to do with space and rockets. Although they both enjoy music, their taste does differ quite a bit. Thomas, who is one minute older, loves heavy metal music with Sabaton being his favorite band. Jonathan plays in the percussion section of the BCHS band and enjoys music by Elton John.
The boys first took the ACT in the seventh grade with the Duke University TIPS Program and scored an 18. Jonathan was honored by Duke University for his seventh grade ACT Science score of 23 at an awards program that was held at Belmont University for all the top honorees in the State of Tennessee. Their final ACT scores at graduation are a 29 for Thomas who is the Class of 2024 salutatorian and a 30 for Jonathan. As you see, striving towards academic excellence has been a part of the lives of the Banks twins. It is no surprise they achieved the Top 10 and Wall of Fame recognition together.
Banks Twins Photo Gallery
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“Our parents taught us to always do our best and that academics come first. To keep our grades up and that things will fall into place. We have always shared everything in life, so it was kind of expected to share these accomplishments as well,” Thomas and Jonathan agreed and also shared the same view about their academic journey. “We wouldn’t consider it to be difficult, but every minute we have spent has been worth it.”
Thomas and Jonathan plan to attend Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee and major in mechanical and aerospace engineering. They each shared some encouraging words to their peers who are coming up behind them.
“Don’t stress out too much. Stress will make your grades go down. Keep up with deadlines and always do all of your work on time. Also, take the ACT as many times as you can,” said Thomas.
“If you need to get help, don’t hesitate to ask and get as much as you can. The teachers at Bolivar Central are there for you,” said Jonathan.
Although they stated the journey has been easy towards the accomplishments they have made, Thomas and Jonathan realize that ease was attributed to many people.
“We want to thank our parents, Bryan and Nicole Banks, for everything and supporting us in everything we do. We also want to thank our teachers that have guided us to this point in our lives,” said Thomas and Jonathan. ”All the teachers, administrators, and staff at Toone Elementary and Bolivar Central are incredible and we have learned so much from them.”
Nicole and Bryan Banks are beyond excited for Thomas and Jonathan. They shared a special message to their sons.
“We are so proud of all that you two have accomplished in your 18 years. You have brought adventure, light, laughter, and love to our lives. God always has a plan, and He gave us you two to cherish, guide, and love,” said Mr. and Mrs. Banks. “Always be the ‘BAA’ to each other. Never allow anyone or anything to come between the special connection you have. Continue to be kind, loving, intelligent, fair, and funny as you head off to the next adventure of your lives.”
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