If you have sisters or brothers, you may have been told that your sibling will grow up to be your best friend. Is that what sibling duos at Powell High School are thinking?

When an older sibling becomes old enough to drive, they often become the designated chauffeur. The thrill of finally being old enough to drive can be dulled when a little brother or sister hops in the passenger seat. Senior Gabriel Villalobos is in charge of getting his sister, Cecilia, to and from school each day. 

“It’s easy to drive her to school and get home,” Villalobos said. “But if she has to stay after school, I also have to stay after school.”

Sports can also be affected by sibling relationships. Some sports keep siblings apart with divisions such as freshman teams, junior varsity, or varsity. Other times siblings will be working closely together as teammates. Luci and Naomi Whipple experienced the troubles and joys of competing together as they were paired for the 2023 tennis season.

“Our relationship almost didn’t make it through the season,” freshman Naomi Whipple said. “It was a close call.” 

While there were tough moments, the sisters still had a successful season. 

“It was fun, and I’m happy when I did it, but we are very different people,” senior Lucy Whipple said. “But I’m happy we got that experience.”

Older siblings can also act as mentors and examples for younger athletes. Freshman David Stensing valued having his brother, Isaac, as a tennis mentor. 

“It’s a challenge playing against him,” David Stensing said. “But I like it. It makes me better.”

It’s not often that siblings in different grades have the same classes, but they still have interactions outside of class. Sophomore Hagen Bradish and senior Case Bradish are always bumping into each other. 

“Everywhere I go, he’s somehow there,” H. Bradish said. “It feels like I’m always being watched.”

Sophomore Will Atkinson has taken advantage of seeing his sister at school. 

“His friends like to talk to me a lot,” junior Maggie Atkinson said. “And bother me, which they think is funny.”

Sibling relationships are quite unique. Though age differs, they both get to see each other in all aspects of life. Brothers and sisters often know each other’s struggles better than anyone else. Though siblings have different interests and personalities, their close proximity leads to deeper bonds. 

“We get along pretty well. We just don’t talk about things that would make us fight with each other,” M. Atkinson said. “And, you know, just keep it amicable.”