We take it for granted that good things come in pairs – shoes, socks, gloves, earrings, contacts, windshield wipers, chopsticks, dice, and yes, even Aeronautical Center employees. For a distinct group of employees, they have the benefit of being born as part of a pair, or a twin. For some, being born a twin means that you have a sibling that dresses like you, there is an expectation that you should share everything, and you can both expect to get the same present for your birthday.
For decades, scientists have used twins to study the complex roles of nature vs. nurture. Are they alike because of genetic influences or environmental influences? What happens when twins get separated at birth – do they share the same values, health habits, or psychological patterns? Some research indicates that environmentally induced differences are reflected in the epigenome (chemical compounds that attach to one’s DNA helping make each individual unique). Twins can be identical or fraternal; only boy/girl twins can be fraternal, not identical.
Twins can be either monozygotic (“identical”) meaning they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two embryos - typically with the same genetic information, or dizygotic (“fraternal”) where each twin develops from a separate egg and each egg is fertilized by its own sperm cell and produces two genetically unique children. Other types include – half identical twins, when an egg splits and then each half is fertilized; mirror image twins – identical twins who develop asymmetrically.
People in Yoruba, an ethnic group of southwestern and north-central Nigeria, as well as southern and central Benin have the highest populations of dizygotic twin sets (90-100 twins) per 1,000 live births. Some research suggests this is because of high consumption of a specific type of yam containing a natural phytoestrogen, which is said to stimulate the ovaries to release an egg from each side. The Asian population is said to have the lowest birth rate of twins. Twins, as opposed to triplets, quadruplets, etc., are said to account for over 90% of multiple births.
Across the Aeronautical Center, we were pleased to find a few employees that were willing to share their twin experiences with us:
As a ten year employee of the Aeronautical Center, working as a Producer/Director in Media Solutions, Darby Ralls has spent the majority of his career in the private sector, working in video production, being self-employed, and working for a large retail company. His twin, Darcey Scott worked for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in Adult Protective Services, and also worked several years for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) with the Choctaw Nation.
When talking to Darby about his special twin relationship, he says, “Our mom said that we used ‘twin-speak’, a made-up language that only we knew. Then one time as adults, I had to have sinus surgery. During post-op when the surgeon was removing the bandages that were packing my sinuses, they started to bleed - significantly enough that he had to stop and re-pack them. I later found out that my sister had a spontaneous nosebleed at exactly the same time. She didn’t even know I was at the doctor’s office.”
As youngsters, Darby and Darcey tried to establish their own identities even though they were always together as children, affectionately known as ‘the twins.’ Even their first jobs resembled the uniqueness of their personalities, with Darby working at the family optometry office, while his sister opted for a fast food restaurant.
Darby recalls, “When we were kids, we were both very good students. I’ve always been more driven and Darcey was more laid-back. I was always very musical, playing in band all through school. Darcey couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. When we were diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), I was aggressive with my treatment, doing everything I could do stay as healthy as possible. Darcey took the “I won’t let CF rule my life” approach, and unfortunately, she passed away in 2010 due to CF complications.
Darby remains a steadfast advocate for those with CF, eager to educate others about the needs of people with CF so that smart decisions can be made about research, treatment, and access to care. He believes in boldly continuing work that will influence those living with CF and adheres to a rigorous treatment routine. In the interest of staying healthy and active, Darby enjoys sports, martial arts, and spending time with his wife and their dogs. Darby loves music, and can play 15 different musical instruments. He has performed live music at a variety of venues.
Laura Dickey is currently a Supervisory Program Manager for the Technical Onboarding Team and has worked for the FAA for 27 years. Her twin sister, Lou Cisneros has worked as a Business Manager for a private school in El Paso, Texas for the past 11 years.
Everyone that knows these twins, say that they can’t tell their voices apart and that they have the same mannerisms. Lou went to college right out of high school and pursued a degree in accounting, whereas Laura worked for a couple of years before going to college and pursuing a business degree in HR. Laura is slightly shorter than Lou and they don’t share the same shoe size. With regard to families, Lou has two boys with family obligations and work, and Laura is married without children and she and her husband love to travel.
When asked about the best part of being a twin, Laura says, “You have a best friend for life!” She also comments that when they haven’t seen each other for a while and then when they get together, they are sometimes wearing the same clothes! It’s also not unusual for one to call the other and hear, “OMG…I was just about to call you!”
When it came time for their first jobs, Laura worked at a hospital as a phlebotomist/lab assistant for about 7 years before going to college, while Lou went straight to college and worked at the University. When describing one another Lou says that “Laura is very kind, giving, and generous with her family.” Laura describes Lou “as being super funny …always the life of the party. She’s very witty and is a sharp dresser!”
Although living in different cities for many years, these twins like to watch the same tv shows and enjoy sharing their viewpoints with one another. Unintended, they shop at the same stores and wear similar trends of clothing.
Collectively, Laura and Lou love all kinds of Mexican music and probably listen to it more than people think. They also agree that the biggest challenge of being a twin is living too far away from one another.
If you’ve worked at the Aeronautical Center for any length of time, then you may have seen these lovely fraternal twins around; Tania Landgraf and Toni Main-Valentin. Tania began working at the Center ten years prior to Toni’s employment. Tania is a Supervisory Computer Specialist in the Enterprise Change and Configuration Branch and Toni is a Management Program Analyst in the Regional HR Services Division.
Toni is the older twin by 11 minutes. The girls definitely share that special “twin bond.” They are twins that prefer to do everything together. In college, they studied and took the same courses, even scoring the same on course exams. They recounted an episode where a professor separated them to ensure they weren’t cheating. Even after separating them to take a test, they still scored the same. “ We both think the best part of being a twin is having a “built-in” best friend, who knows you better than anyone, and knows how you think,” explains Tania.
In their early years, Tania’s first job was working as an office assistant for a CPA/attorney, while Toni’s first job was working as an office assistant for a podiatrist. However, upon graduating from college, the girls began their government careers at the same time. They were hired through the Outstanding Scholar Program at Tinker Air Force Base. At Tinker, Toni worked as a Human Resource Specialist and Tania was employed as a Logistics Management Specialist in Plans and Programs.
The girls believe that they look more alike today, than they ever before. Tania says, “It’s not uncommon for people to confuse us in the hallways. We both love fitness and we like to work out together 6-days a week. We have a very close bond. We live next door to each other, and sometimes we even dress alike, unknowingly, until we arrive at work and see each other!”
The differences that they share between them are really few and far between. Each of them love being a twin and wouldn’t trade it for anything. If they have a difference, it would be with pets. Toni loves dogs and has 4 rescues. Tania doesn’t necessarily share that same passion for pets.
The twins enjoy doing high intensity work outs together and participating in 5K runs. They enjoy the mental and physical benefits that running provides, but it is not an activity that really appeals to them. The truth of the matter is, that neither one of them really enjoys running. They only run together to keep each other accountable in their fitness routine.
The MONRONeYnews wishes to thank our special Aeronautical Center twins for their willingness to share their unique perspectives.
Interesting Twin Facts:
Every year, there is a National Twins Day celebrated during the first weekend in August. The day was inspired by a pair of twins, Moses and Aaron Wilcox. In 1819, this pair of identical twins donated 6 acres of land to the town of Millsville, Ohio on the condition that it change its name to Twinsburg. In 1976, the grateful town of Twinsburg began hosting an annual festival for twins. That first year only 36 twins showed up, but today more than 2,000 twins attend the festival.
