In the Frey household, homework gets done, even late at night. And the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual learning, and Hurricane Ida in 2021 don’t count as excuses.

Twin sisters Kayla and Kyla Frey accumulated top grades, numerous achievements, and nearly $5 million in potential scholarships from multiple institutions as they graduated from Frederick A. Douglass High School in New Orleans.

Kayla ranked first and Kyla fourth in their class (with 4.69 and 4.6 GPAs), and they filled their high school years with academic and extracurricular challenges. They both earned associate degrees in arts through the Bard Early College program.

Kayla shared what she learned with WDSU News: “Maximize all opportunities. If it’s offered to you, do it.”

Kyla told the news site she wants other young people to know they too can make headlines. "All you hear a lot about is violence with teens. So, when you hear they are actually doing good [it shows] not all are experiencing the same things. It shows others they can do it too," Kyla said.

Kayla played softball, served as statistician for the football team, and was named Scholar Athlete of the Year in 11^th grade. She was on the school’s Aspen Challenge Team, which brainstormed ways to solve a major challenge facing the New Orleans community, as well as several student organizations.

Kyla, a semifinalist for the Gates Scholarship, participated in the Advanced Placement (AP) Pathways program, was a peer tutor, and member of the National Honor Society, among other activities.

The young women cited the support of their family, their teachers, and their school leader, Towana Pierre-Floyd.  

Their mother, Leslie Frey, said she and husband Derrick Frey were proud of their daughters and credited their success to setting goals and completing homework.  

Leslie Frey offered parental advice for students to take full advantage of school resources and to not allow ”one’s surroundings limit their potential,” according to a school publication.  

Kayla plans to attend Yale University to study political science and sociology followed by law school. She won a coveted Gates Scholarship, which pays for tuition, housing, books, and fees.

Kyla plans to enter Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge to major in kinesiology with the goal of becoming an athletic trainer in professional sports.

Leslie Frey told the NOLA news site: “We made sure the girls supported each other, and there was never a rivalry or competition between them.”