Haitian-American twin sisters who attend Yale University are the epitome of Black excellence and Black girl magic as they set records and make their mark on the world.
On Dec. 9, 2023, freshmen Gloria and Victoria Guerrier competed in the 500m dash at Yale’s women’s track and field indoor season against rivals Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart at Coxe Cage.
Gloria broke the school’s record with her 1:12.41 time, followed by her sister, Victoria, who finished at 1:13.56, the two dominating the top four spots.
However, a 2023 interview with USA Today showed that the two women have a history of greatness.
The New York natives attended West Hempstead Secondary School and, by their senior year, were crowned valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2023, according to West Hempstead’s announcement.
The twins finished high school with impressive GPAs — Gloria obtained a 105.3 GPA, and Victoria earned a 104.9 GPA.
While juggling part-time jobs, home responsibilities, and sports (track, cross country, and volleyball), the twins maintained a perfect 100 or above on their transcripts. Their hard work paid off, and they were accepted to Yale.
“We’ve been working for this since ninth grade, and we dreamed of this moment, but it is actually coming into fruition and happening. It just feels so unreal,” Victoria told the outlet.
Aside from their academics, Gloria and Victoria tackled a project during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic for a Samsung competition that sought to make face masks environmentally sustainable, gaining attention from government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration.
“We decided to create our own masks that were biodegradable, effective against the COVID-19 droplets and also cost-effective,” Gloria explained. “After that whole project…researchers from the FDA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology reached out to us and wanted to [turn] our research projects into a larger case study.”
They also accumulated $15,000 for West Hempstead’s science department, leading the school to purchase new laptops and science materials to advance students’ education.
When the sisters weren’t working on school or projects, they were at home checking out recipes with high protein or watching new Netflix releases. They also play instruments — Victoria picked up the cello while Gloria chose the viola.
One challenge they faced was juggling school and their home responsibilities, including taking care of their father, who has a condition that slowly paralyzed his body.
Their father is one person who inspired them to strive for greatness. He overcame his adversities, like impoverishment in Haiti, and obtained a scholarship that led him to study at Clemson University.
“He achieved so much in America, and his story really taught me how to work hard and to value education,” Gloria said.
Although tough, the twins learned to lean on each other to maintain academic success and handle their responsibilities.
“We had to learn how to split the work, take on extra household chores, and also how to be there emotionally for each other,” Victoria said.
