When John and Joseph Gomes walked across the stage at Chaminade High School on Long Island this month, they made school history together. The twin brothers became the first siblings ever to graduate as both valedictorian and salutatorian at the prestigious Catholic school — and now they’re heading to Brown University side by side.

John, 18, earned the top spot with a cumulative average of 99.42, narrowly edging out his twin brother Joseph, who finished with a 99.29. But despite the close race, the brothers say their journey was never really about competition.

“There have been a couple of times where we used to boast about who does better in calculus, who does better in physics,” John told The New York Post. “Ultimately, our end goal is not to just boast, but ultimately help whoever is kind of behind.”

That mindset of encouragement and brotherhood became a defining part of their success.

Joseph actually outperformed his brother during their senior year, earning a remarkable 99.67 average compared to John’s 98.83. John praised his brother’s discipline, especially during a season when many students begin to lose focus.

“A lot of seniors get senior-itis and slack off and don’t focus as much,” John said. “But one exception to that was my brother. It was actually his highest average out of his four years.”

The twins grew up in Hewlett, New York, sharing nearly everything together — from tennis and Nintendo games to school clubs and large birthday parties. Their close bond continued into high school, where they enrolled at Chaminade, known for its demanding academics and Catholic values.

“We were always encouraged to stay together,” Joseph said. “We pretty much spent almost every day together.”

The brothers took some of the school’s toughest classes while participating in extracurricular activities including social studies club, business club, culinary club, and a school prayer group. According to principal Robert Paul, the twins intentionally chose the harder academic path rather than taking easier classes that could have boosted their averages.

“They’ve also taken the hardest classes we offer here,” Paul said. “There are other pathways that you could take where maybe the class is not as difficult, and you can get better grades and probably not have to work as hard.”

Their classmates quickly noticed both their intelligence and willingness to help others succeed.

“A few kids used to come to me freshman year and ask, ‘How is your average so high? What do you do?’” Joseph recalled.

John said classmates frequently asked for his notes after class. “I’m like, fine, but you’ve got to do the actual problems yourself,” he joked.

What stands out most about the Gomes brothers isn’t just their academic excellence, but their humility. In a culture that often celebrates rivalry and self-promotion, the twins consistently chose unity over comparison.

“Whether it’s elementary school, middle school, or here at Chaminade, I don’t think we were ever too competitive about those serious things,” Joseph said.

Now the brothers are preparing for the next chapter at Brown University, where their father also attended. John plans to study government or law, while Joseph hopes to pursue environmental engineering.

And after spending virtually every day together for 18 years, they’re grateful their paths will continue side by side.

“I am really going to enjoy being with Joseph for the next four years,” John said. “I interact with him every single day, and so it would have been a little bit off or hard to get used to if I didn’t see him at least once a week.”

Their story is a refreshing reminder that success doesn’t have to come at someone else’s expense. Sometimes the greatest victories are the ones shared together.