Twins Gabrielle and Zoe Edwards, both USC Viterbi students, share a laugh in their track attire (Photo/Courtesy of Gabrielle Edwards)
For some, college is an opportunity to get away from family. Such is not the case for identical twins Gabrielle and Zoe Edwards, who are graduating from USC Viterbi in May with bachelor’s degrees in industrial and systems engineering.
The sisters not only have the same majors at the same university, but they also both hold leadership roles in the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), run club track, and volunteer for Troy Camp. In addition to competing and mentoring side-by-side, the two currently share an apartment together. And while they spend much of their time in the same spaces, they’ve managed to avoid rivalry; Instead, they support and motivate each other in everything they do.
Growing up, both Zoe and Gabrielle expressed an interest in math and science. Their father is an aerospace engineer and their mother a chemical engineer. They both wanted to have plenty of career opportunities after graduating from college and decided separately to study industrial and systems engineering.
Extraordinarily, they did not plan to attend USC together. When they were younger, they described themselves as overly competitive. “In high school it felt like Gabrielle’s success was my failure. My success was her failure,” Zoe said. They applied to 9 of the same universities and intended to attend separate ones.
However, fate had a different plan in store for them. After both being admitted to USC Viterbi, the dream of living on the West Coast pulled them, and the twins decided to make the move to Los Angeles.
The pair got involved with IISE their freshman year. “The president came to one of our classes and was encouraging people to join — they were trying to rebuild the organization post-COVID. At first, I just wanted to meet more people in my major. But I realized I wanted to take on a leadership role, and this seemed like a good opportunity,” Gabrielle said.
IISE serves as a hub for professional development, mentorship, and connection among students pursuing industrial and systems engineering. For Gabrielle and Zoe, it quickly became more than just a resume booster. Not only did the club help them connect with their peers and make friends, but both also said that they gained some of their most valuable leadership experience through IISE. They also felt that being twins has helped strengthen the executive board’s efficacy. “As twins, we can call each other out on things. I think that helps other people on E-board feel like they can be honest with us too,” Gabrielle said.
Gabrielle and Zoe alongside other USC IISE team members at IISE Western Regional Conference (Photo/Courtesy of Gabrielle Edwards)
The duo also mentioned Troy Camp as a key part of their experience at USC. The program allows undergraduate students to volunteer at local elementary schools to provide educational, extracurricular, and leadership programs. As “counselors,” Zoe and Gabrielle planned games, activities, and lessons for small groups of children.
Zoe said the experience was enlightening. “I realized that the things I stress about are luxuries. So many of the kids dream of going to USC and being in my shoes,” she said.
Gabrielle agreed. “The kids do such a good job of just being in the present. It helped me take a step back and kind of reset my brain,” she said.
In between classes, leadership meetings, and volunteering, the twins also made time for one more major commitment: athletics. Sports have always been an important part of their lives. They played high school basketball together, but unfortunately, both tore their ACLs. They chose track and field because it didn’t require as much lateral movement. Zoe and Gabrielle both run the 200-meter and 400-meter events, as well as the 4×100 meter relay and 4×400 meter relay.
Gabrielle said that as teammates they push one another. “We’re competitive but we still support each other,” she said. “We hold each other accountable especially because we run very similar times.”
Managing academics, athletics, and extracurriculars can be demanding, but Zoe and Gabrielle approach their commitments with balance and perspective. “I always involved myself in things that were authentic to who I was and what I actually had interest in. That made it easier to balance everything,” said Gabrielle.
Zoe added: “Track has actually helped me do better in other aspects, like schoolwork — just by having a break and working out,” she said. “At Troy Camp, they told us that if you can’t show up 100% for the students, it’s okay—take care of yourself first. They want you to show up as the best version of yourself. I’ve taken that into other parts of my life too.”
Even though being constantly compared to one another can engender competition, they ultimately see their bond as a source of support and shared purpose: “It’s not that we’re doing the same thing, we’re doing it together,” said Gabrielle.
After graduation, the siblings plan on working in consulting. Gabrielle recently accepted an offer to work at Ernst & Young in Chicago as a consultant in the Technology Strategy and Transformation (TST) group. Similarly, Zoe accepted a position as an associate consultant at Avasant, based in the Washington, DC office.
As they prepare to leave USC and step into the next chapter of their lives, Gabrielle and Zoe are taking time to reflect on the past four years. “Watching each other grow and do things we dreamed of — like getting our engineering degrees — that’s something I’m proud of,” said Gabrielle.
“I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built—with my professors, my classmates, and the way Gabrielle and I have navigated USC as twins, growing both together and as individuals,” said Zoe.
Published on May 7th, 2025
Last updated on May 7th, 2025
