In 2021, the CDC reported that triplets made up 0.076% of births in the United States. While that number is very low, even rarer is finding a set of triplets who have made a positive impact on WA like the Jones siblings.

Seniors Alex, Ben, and Justin Jones are WA’s one and only set of triplets, and come fall, the trio will each take their own paths in college. Alex will be attending Pennsylvania State University, Justin will be attending the University of Maryland, and Ben will be staying in Massachusetts to attend Bentley University. Although the siblings acknowledge that they will miss each other, their busy schedules and largely separate lives have made the idea of being so far from each other easier to come to terms with.

“I personally think that it’s not going to be extremely different from what it is now [because] we’re always so busy,” Alex said. “We cross paths sometimes, but we have our own separate lives […]. We’ve never been that far apart from each other for so long, but I think we’ll be okay.”

Alex chose to attend Penn State because it offered the opportunities she was looking for in a college. For Ben, Bentley University was his choice because of his love of math and Bentley’s excellent business program. His love for the campus was a big factor in his decision as well. Similarly, Justin’s choice of the University of Maryland was decided by the vibe of the campus and academic opportunities. He also stated that being farther away from home in Maryland excited him because it opened up the possibility for new experiences.

The three siblings all agree that being a triplet in high school was a largely positive experience. Justin describes it as always having a “built-in friend” who you could depend on to help out with homework and difficult classes. Nevertheless, having two siblings in the same grade led to some struggles developing an individual identity, especially between the two brothers.

“When you have a teacher that has your sibling at the same time, they’ll be like, ‘Oh my god, I have Justin or Alex in class and they’re great and whatever’ and I feel like it’s kind of hard to make your own mark in that class when you’re seen as Justin’s brother,” Ben said.

Ben added that being known as Justin or Alex’s sibling could be positive as well since they both tended to leave good impressions on their teachers.

Even though the Jones’ journeys at WA have come to an end, they have each left lasting impressions on the students and teachers they worked with during their four years. All three members of the trio played basketball for WA and had leadership roles on the teams during their senior year. Alex was a captain on the Varsity Girls’ Basketball team while Ben and Justin were both senior leaders on the Varsity Boys’ Basketball team.

Varsity Girls’ Basketball coach and English teacher Russell Coward instructed Alex in both the classroom and on the court and noticed similar qualities in her as a player and as a student.

“[Alex is] an excellent student. Very responsible, very bright, [and] hardworking. Honestly, the qualities I’ve seen her exhibit on the basketball court for several years, I saw in her as a student in my classroom,” Coward said.

Coward also attributes Alex’s success in English to the perceptiveness and intelligence that helped her succeed on the court.

“In basketball it’s always quite important to be able to talk to people in situations where other people might not be paying attention […] and so there were several times during class where, you know, I would be hinting at something and she would understand it more specifically than other people,” Coward said.

Her perceptiveness allowed her to develop a closer connection with Coward due to her understanding of his sarcasm and humor. According to Coward, that shared understanding was nice to have in a student.

Ben and Justin also had important roles as senior leaders on the Boys’ Basketball team due to the motivation and inspiration they provided to the underclassmen. Sophomore Vishal Rampur notes that Ben’s biggest contributions were his enthusiasm and support for his teammates whether they were on or off the court.

“I remember Ben always giving me motivating advice when I would be having a bad practice or game and [he] would always boost my confidence,” Rampur said. “[His] leadership was present throughout the season, especially when our team would be in the locker room at halftime. Whether we were losing or winning, Ben would always keep our minds on track to win us the game.”

Outside of basketball, the triplets were also uplifting presences in their classrooms. German teacher Tim Welch remembers Justin as a student who could always take a joke. In one instance, Welch gave Justin the nickname “the best boy” to poke fun at his senior superlative.

“I think he liked the nickname and took the teasing well, and I think that that says a lot about Justin. That kind of character encompasses Justin. In a nutshell, he has a wonderful sense of humor, and he’s a hard worker in class and he is always up for a challenge,” Welch said. “He’s just this really personable, honest, nice kid who you can joke with and doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

Welch says that that quality in Justin made him a student he could always count on to engage others in the class which was very helpful on gloomy Monday mornings when people were unwilling to participate.

A common theme that all the people who knew the Jones siblings shared was the humor, understanding, and kindness Alex, Ben, and Justin spread in whatever environment they were in. From the way they treat each other, it is clear that always having that “built-in friend” has influenced the Jones triplets to treat others with that same kindness and empathy.

“Because of Alex and Justin I’ve been able to make a lot of friends and connections with people that otherwise I wouldn’t have,” Ben said. “Playing sports with Justin is like always having a partner in them. We’re always on the same team. We always play together. It’s just really nice to always have that best friend.”

Alex added that with siblings, you always have a friend with you; no matter where you go, you never feel alone. Justin agrees with both Alex and Ben in the sense that his two siblings were always his rock.

“It’s really nice [having] that person you can always rely on […] because growing up, trying to do new things, I normally did it with one or both of them. So it was nice having that [feeling] like, ‘I’m kind of nervous to do this but they’re also doing it with me,'” Justin said.