You can’t say twins without wins—it’s true. And that makes the School of Communication the gold star recipient.
But why?
“The other day, I was walking in Fell Hall and a professor stopped me to say hello. I had literally no idea who this person was and realized quickly they thought I was my sister. Not wanting to embarrass him, I nodded along and went with it,” said Alexa Fricilone, senior journalism major and identical twin to Elise Fricilone, senior public relations major.
Alexa and Elise are currently just one set of twins in the School of Communication. For the next set, meet Madalyn and Jackalyn Brown, identical sophomore interpersonal communication majors. Rounding out the trio, the school is also proud to introduce junior interpersonal communication major Gabriella Venturini, and fraternal twin Isabella Venturini, a junior interactive media major.
Home is where my twin is
It’s said twins share special connections. The media portrays twins as like-minded when it comes to activities, fashion, food, personality, and sense of humor. Naturally, these overlaps can create a special kind of relationship between these siblings, and they lead life like they started it—inseparably.
Twinning since the beginning, these six young women have found their home in the School of Communication—but for all the hype about twins tending to “do the same things,” these ladies made their own individual educational decisions.
“We both really liked Illinois State University from the beginning, and subconsciously maybe we did want to stick together, but it wasn’t a necessity. What’s funny though is that we had no idea we would end up in the same major. In hindsight, we both love to talk, so I’m not surprised now,” said Isabella Venturini.
“It’s true, we do love talking to people, so it makes sense we ended up where we did. But it honestly wasn’t on purpose,” added sister Gabriella Venturini.
While the Venturini and Brown twins flocked to the Illinois State University campus as freshmen, the Fricilone twins charted their own path as transfer students.
“We actually both transferred to ISU from Grand Valley State University our sophomore year. While being at the same school provided us some comfort, we did not decide to go to either university together,” said Elise Fricilone.
“And it’s the same for the School of Communication. We didn’t decide to be in it together, but it ended up that both of our majors were a part of it,” added Alexa Fricilone.
It’s a twin thing
Twinning at the same university, in the same school, with the same major, has many advantages. But there are some unique complications too.
“We took COM 111: Introduction to Communication Theory and COM 360: Mass Media Theory & Effects together. While COM 111 was online, our COM 360 course was not,” said Alexa Fricilone.
“There are pros and cons to taking classes together,” added Elise Fricilone. “On the one hand, I have a project partner who I am definitely comfortable working with. But then on the other hand, there’s this weird sense of competition about who’s going to earn the higher grade.”
Twins are constantly compared to one another, and it goes well beyond the classroom. Not only does sharing a school make it difficult to distinguish an individual educational experience, but it often forces a shared spotlight.
“I love my sister, but my least favorite part is when we get paired. People always call us ‘the twins’ and think that we share the same identity. We are actually very different. I wish more people would see us as Gabriella and Isabella, rather than just ‘the twins,’” said Isabella Venturini.
It’s a shared sentiment.
“My least favorite thing about being a twin is when people ask how to tell us a part,” added Madalyn Brown. “Isn’t it obvious? Come on!”
“We’re always clumped together as one,” said Alexa Fricilone. “People see that we share the same face and assume we have the same personality. But anyone who knows us can tell you that there are definitely things that make Alexa, Alexa and Elise, Elise.”
Speaking from a place of personal relatability, academic advisor Nichole Hughes-Liss weighed in on her experience advising Madalyn and Jackalyn Brown.
“I met with Madalyn on a Friday afternoon and had no idea she was a twin,” Hughes-Liss said. “But then on Monday morning, Jackalyn appeared on my calendar. I definitely had a moment of confusion and needed to double-check my work. But being an identical twin myself, it was the first thing I brought up when I met with them next.”
Ironically, twins appear to run in the academic advising family in the School of Communication.
Advisor Kate Boutilier is a fraternal twin herself and advises Alexa and Elise Fricilone.
“My most recent advising appointments with both Alexa and Elise occurred on the same day, back-to-back,” Boutilier said. “I took a few minutes before starting the first appointment to double-check which twin I was going to be meeting with first and which major she was in.”
Life is better with a twin
But for all the moments of confusion and drawbacks, there’s an opportunity for comedy—and a lot of laughs.
“People confuse us all the time, even our grandma,” said Gabriella Venturini. “I truly don’t think we look alike, but as we’ve gotten older people have been able to see more of a difference. But that could be because I recently dyed my hair.”
“When we were younger, Madalyn and I would try and go into each other’s class to try and trick our high school teachers,” said Jackalyn Brown. “It never worked well.”
Sharing a face, a last name, and a major may indeed evoke an emotion or two (for better or worse), but if one thing is true, the School of Communication ensures that each young woman receives a customized, individual learning experience. From public relations and journalism to mass media and communication studies, every student has the opportunity to make their educational journey match their passion.
“My favorite part about the School of Communication has honestly been my speech class with Professor Jodi Hallsten Lyczak,” Gabriella Venturini said. “I know everyone has to take it to graduate, but my experience was so unique. Each week we had to deliver a different speech in front of the class, and my absolute favorite was the wedding toast. I feel like it prepared me to actually attend a wedding and give a speech. How cool is that?”
“The professors here are incredible,” Elise Fricilone said. “Although I’ve had good experiences at previous schools, the COM professors outshine all of them. Everyone is extremely caring and helpful and really cater to my future career goals.”
Born together, best friends forever
While Alexa and Elise Fricilone can see graduation on the horizon in May 2023, Madalyn, Jackalyn, Gabriella and Isabella are still thinking forward, visualizing their future careers.
“I have a podcast right now. My plan after college is to keep building my audience. My dream is to have a platform where I can interview others and help build a society where we are each the best version of ourselves,” said Isabella Venturini.
“Isabella has a really cool podcast where she breaks down The Power of Now, written by Eckhart Tole,” Gabriella Venturini said. “She educates her listeners on the power of presence and spirituality. And while I fully support her in her goals, I’ll be hopping on a plane to travel the world as a flight attendant. I just know my passion for adventure and the skills I’m learning in my major will take me to explore new cultures.”
Indeed, Gabriella and Isabella have big plans for their individualized futures, while Madalyn and Jackalyn are open to any option.
“Both of us are not really sure what our plans are quite yet, but it would be kind of fun to work together if the opportunity presented itself,” Madalyn Brown said.
Alexa and Elise feel the same.
“With me going into public relations and Alexa journalism, there’s high chance of us going into similar careers,” Elise Fricilone said. “We’ve actually talked about how cool it would be for both of us to work for the same company, me handling their image and Alexa writing for them.”
One thing is true. No matter where the future takes these remarkable Redbirds, they’ll always have a home in the School of Communication—and one unique experience to reflect on.
Elise Fricilone said it best.
“We’re each other’s best friends,” she said. “And although we bicker here and there, we both know that we have each other’s back no matter what. There is not one other person in this world I’m closer to, and I’m so thankful we both chose to study in the School of Communication at Illinois State University.”
