Good Vibes Only: Teen sibling geniuses graduating from UTEP

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- This weekend, thousands of Borderland students will be graduating. Included in the ceremonies are two El Paso siblings, but they are not your typical graduates. Both are still teenagers.

19-year-old Gian Nevárez Yee and 16-year-old Giulianna Nevárez Yee will earn their Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science from the University of Texas at El Paso.

The homeschooled pair got an early start in their education. Gian enrolled in college at just 14 years old. Sister Giulianna followed in his footsteps, enrolling at 12. She explained to ABC-7 what it was like starting college so young.

"I was very nervous. Yeah. Because a lot of the people are just, well, like, everyone is older than me. They're all, like, in their 20s or something. So it was pretty strange to me because, like, no one there is quite like me. So it was really scary at first, but I think I just got used to it after a while," Giulianna said.

Both said they decided to pursue a degree in computer science because they looked forward to the academic challenge. They said it was a pleasant experience being enrolled in the same program.

"We were able to study for the same topics and same classes, and it was basically like having a perfect little study partner with me," Gian said.

"I always had someone that I could talk to. And we could always, like, help each other out on assignments if we needed that. So it was nice because we were able to, like, work together. Like, if I didn't understand something, then he could explain it, or I could explain it to him," Giulianna said.

They said professors are always wondering if they are related or if they are twins.

Their parents, Martha and Bernardo, said they are very proud of their children and are excited to see what comes next for them!

After graduating from UTEP, Gian wants to pursue medical school and eventually become a medical physician.

"I want to be able to serve my community here at El Paso as a physician. And I can really tackle some of the larger health problems. We're a growing city and still very under-serviced," he said.

Giulianna said she's also interested in a medical degree. She said she would like to become a medical examiner or get her master's in artificial intelligence.

"I think to give people that closure that they might have otherwise had," she explained.

Both teens say they are just regular teens. Gian enjoys visiting national parks, having visited nearly a third. And Giulianna enjoys playing video games.

They largely attribute most of their success to homeschooling and the education they received early on.

If you have a Good Vibes Only story idea, email [email protected].