When they were younger, twin sisters Ali and Sophia Raia did pretty much everything together. At Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, they stayed close while pursuing different classes and extracurricular activities. Attending universities on two different coasts this fall — Virginia Tech in Blacksburg for Ali and the University of San Diego for Sophia — will be a test of their independence. “I’m sure we’ll have a lot of FaceTimes,” said Ali. “She just can’t live without me.”
Before high school, Ali and Sophia attended St. Louis School in Alexandria. At Ireton, Sophia was co-president of the American Sign Language Club and was a member of the Environmental Club, the Hispanic Heritage Club — their mother is Puerto Rican — and the Spanish Honor Society. Ali played clarinet in the wind ensemble, where she had the opportunity to travel to Italy and perform. Both played soccer all four years, and Ali was team captain the last two years.
Ali also managed the men’s varsity basketball team. “I got into it because a friend texted me and they really needed a manager for basketball so I decided to do it kind of on a whim and actually really enjoyed it,” said Ali. “Senior year you get to leave early for the game, so it’s nice,” she added. Sophia managed Ali’s softball team. “All my friends, including her, are on the softball team, so I thought I might as well,” said Sophia.
The twins have enjoyed the welcoming Ireton community, especially greetings from their head of school, Kathleen McNutt. “She was our principal at our old school, too. She kind of graduated with us,” said Sophia. “She’s one of the most friendly people ever. She says hi to everyone in the hallway. I used to feel special because she didn’t know everyone back then, but now she knows everyone. She’s made it a fun place.”
Though the pandemic disrupted much of their high school experience, the seniors feel that the school found ways to keep them engaged, from sending emails about school news to creating a wellness center to serve the students’ mental health needs. “We went a whole year without basically seeing anyone but when we came back, everyone was still there and the community was still there,” said Ali. Though they couldn’t attend church in person for a time, “When we came back, going to church and taking religion classes and having that through Ireton definitely helped recenter us,” she said.
