By FULLER ROYAL

Eighteen-year-old identical twins Zaire and Emerald Hill couldn’t be happier. Not only are they each going to the schools of their choice, both schools are footing nearly the entire bill.

Zaire, older by minutes, will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall using the Carolina Covenant Scholarship.

Emerald will attend North Carolina State University on the Pack Promise Scholarship.

Zaire had already been awarded a full Teaching Fellows Scholarship at UNC-CH. She didn’t learn she won a Carolina Covenant Scholarship until the end of May.

Emerald didn’t find out about her Pack Promise Scholarship until the last day of school.

The graduates said their parents, Joseph Hill and Patricia McNeill, are both ecstatic.

“This is a big weight off of their shoulders,” Emerald said.

“I was so excited,” Zaire said. “I ran around and told everybody I knew.”

Both graduated last month from South Columbus High School where they were members of the National Honor Society. They were in band together through their junior year with Zaire on clarinet and Emerald on flute.

Work got in the way of band and most after-school activities. Both have worked at a large store in Whiteville for the past year.

Both were in ROCAME and the Library Club. The similarities ended there, however.

“She does her thing and I do my own thing,” Emerald said, adding that neither girl thinks they look alike.

Zaire chose student government while Emerald went the JROTC route.

“The teachers at SCHS have all been really nice,” Emerald said, adding that she enjoyed the social aspects of school as well.

“I liked the camaraderie,” Zaire said. “And there are a lot of opportunities at South Columbus, more than at other schools. There are a lot of good people here.”

Both point to English teacher Sheila Powell as a positive influence and mentor.

“She was just a great inspiration,” said Emerald. “She made us think outside of the box.”

There are four students from SCHS going to NCSU and four going to UNC-CH.

“Carolina has always been the school for me,” Zaire said. She plans on becoming a teacher, first at the high school level and then teaching at a college or university. She wants to teach the humanities and social sciences.

Emerald isn’t sure of her career path.

“I’m just glad to be going to State,” she said. ‘I’m looking forward to meeting new people and sleeping in just a little later.”

Zaire said she is looking forward to the different experiences she will have in college.