They just graduated together, and now they are moving forward together.
The Keogh quintuplets — Elizabeth, Patrick, Jacqueline, Brigid and Meaghan — all graduated together last week from Toms River High School East in New Jersey.
Next: on to York College in York, PA, in August.
”We decided not to room together,” said Elizabeth in an interview with the New York Post. “Our mom said, ‘You can do what you want but you have to meet up at least once a week [for dinner].’”
“We felt like we should meet new people, branch out and live with someone new,” Jacqueline added in the Post’s feature piece. “We’ve basically been in the same room our whole lives.”
“It won’t be lonely for the quintuplets. They’re all going to York College of Pennsylvania,” noted app.com, which also covered the family adventure. “I don’t think I would last if we went to separate schools,” Elizabeth said. “I think I would miss them too much.”
The quints’ parents, Susan and Jim Keogh of Elizabeth, NJ, already had two kids, James and Kathleen, but wanted a third. Thanks to fertility treatments, they got five, instead, born in quick staccato rhythm on May 18, 2001, at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.
“Collectively the Keogh five weighed less than 13 pounds, ranging from 1 pound, 9 ounces (Brigid) to 3 pounds, 1 ounce (Patrick). Only Meaghan, who suffered a collapsed lung, faced serious health complications,” app.com reported.
Despite the similarities and neighbors’ expectations, the kids are individuals. For example, earlier this year the web site obm.com (92.7) together with Gateway Toyota of Toms River selected Jacqueline Keogh as the high school Student of the Week. “A member of the National Honor Society and German National Honor Society she is also part of the Interact Club, Student Council, History Club, German Club and Yearbook Staff,” the piece ran. “Jacqueline was MVP of the Raiders soccer team, was part of the Winter Track squad and plays Lacrosse in the spring. As an added note she is a quintuplet and her plans include studying civil engineering in college, possibly at Drexel University.”
Still, each is a solid student. As the Post pointed out in its feature story, the siblings “were collectively awarded their high school’s annual Principal’s Scholarship, which principal Patrick Thomas gives to the senior — usually just one — who best embodies their school’s values. They also all got a “generous” financial package from York, Susan said. “And it felt like home to everyone as soon we visited.” Jacqueline will be studying civil engineering. Both Meaghan and Brigid will pursue nursing degrees, while Elizabeth will major in special education and Patrick in marketing.”
