Heart of the Valley: Graduation comes on same day for Coalinga siblings

Coalinga's Davis kids are only 16 and 17, but come May 25, the end of the spring semester, both West Hills College Coalinga and Faith Christian Academy will award degrees - a few hours apart - to siblings Joshua and Rebecca Davis.

The pair, who look as much alike as it's possible to look without being twins, their parents, classmates from West Hills College and Faith Christian and friends will get a cross-town workout when they toss their tassels in the morning at the high school and West Hills offers the same honors in its evening graduation ceremony.

"West Hills College work wasn't as hard as it was challenging," said Joshua, who at 17 is the oldest of the phenomenal pair. He will earn, a few hours after his high school degree, an Associate of Arts degree in social science and Rebecca, at 16, will get her AA in liberal arts.

Although cooperation between colleges and high schools allows gifted high school students an opportunity to earn credits from each at the same time, a brother-sister combination graduating together from both is a rarity, according to Faith Christian Academy principal Tara Davis, who just happens to be the pair's mom.

Noting that the policies of FCA allow - perhaps "encourage" would be a more fitting word - students to take both face-to-face and online classes at the college level, it will come as no surprise that Tara Davis glows when she talks of her children's academic career.

"If you don't go over 11 units," she said, "there is no charge for high school students to take classes at West Hills."

And the principal added that two FCA students, Kristie Coy and Michael Chagoya graduated from FCA last year as juniors, "but Joshua and Rebecca are the only ones to graduate from FCA as seniors and WHCC at the same time."

Friends of the Davis students probably do not find their academic successes difficult to believe.

Joshua holds a 4.0 grade point average in both FCA and WHCC while "Rebecca got one B so she holds about a 3.85 GPA."

Tara Davis said the students plan to do online work at California State University, Chico which will likely lead to teaching careers for both, Rebecca in Spanish and Joshua in history.

Praising West Hills College Coalinga seems easy for the Davis pair.

"I love the diversity," Joshua said. "And I admire and enjoy Coach (Mark) Gritton's health 35 class."

Rebecca singled out WHCC's Annalisa Little as a mentor in child development classes - "I've taken 18 units so far and love it."

The Davis pair, except for their academic successes, is much like their counterparts everywhere.

Both play competitive sports, have friends, play musical instruments and enjoy socializing with teens their age.

But one difference is the pair's praise of their parents - something often "uncool" to the average teenager.

"I love my mom," Rebecca said , as brother Joshua nodded in agreement, "She's cool. And our dad too."

According to Tara Davis, being raised in a Christian home - their father, Rich Davis, is pastor of the Faith Fellowship Church - is what makes the pair special.

"They're good kids," she said, "They have kept God first.

"They have never rebelled and they have worked hard at home, in school and in the church. They are self-starters."

And that work ethic shows as Joshua explains he's "self-taught" in Japanese and the guitar, while Rebecca is self-taught on the drums and loves to work with children.

Both participate in their church in teaching, music and maintenance.

(Jan. 20, 2007)