Brothers pursue contrasting interests; attempt to stay connected

Dylan and Eric Mahnken are identical twins and soon-to-be high school graduates -- but from different schools.

As they finish their last days of class and final exams, Dylan will prepare to graduate from Oak Ridge High School while his brother Eric will be tossing his cap with the senior class of Saxony Lutheran High School.

The brothers previously attended Altenburg Public School, a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school, then chose to attend separate high schools. By splitting their paths, they could pursue their own interests without constantly being compared to the other.

"People don't even believe me when I tell them I have a twin," Eric Mahnken said.

At Saxony Lutheran, Eric Mahnken has been an active member of the Drama Club, which he admits he will miss the most after graduation. He played Oz in the school's spring musical "The Wizard of Oz." He also is a member of National Honor Society and Student Council.

Dylan Mahnken was one of the Oak Ridge seniors who wrote and edited the book "Can't Bury Our Voices," a re-imagining of "The Canterbury Tales." He also tutored younger students and is a member of the school's physics team.

After graduation, the 17-year-old brothers plan to continue following their interests down different paths, one heading to the Navy, the other to a university.

Eric Mahnken received the Regents' Scholarship to attend Southeast Missouri State University in the fall, where has been accepted into the Honors program. He plans to pursue a degree in psychology.

"Before, I thought I might go into engineering, but psychology has become one of my favorite subjects," he said. "It might seem weird, but I'd like to work in a prison as a clinical psychologist."

Theater will continue to be an important part of his life in college, Eric Mahnken said. He plans to add a few theater-related classes to his class schedule as electives.

As his brother is settling into the dorms at Southeast, Dylan Mahnken will prepare to begin basic training for the Navy. He is scheduled to begin his training on Oct. 23, and already is receiving instructions to be prepared.

"Basically, they gave me a set of rules and told me not to change anything I'm doing," Dylan Mahnken said. "Don't do anything, don't even get a speeding ticket."

He said he became interested in joining the Navy after taking the ASVAB, a multiple-aptitude test that measures abilities to determine the best suited careers in the military, at Oak Ridge.

Dylan Mahnken said he was hoping to work in the robotics department, but when he was offered a position in the nuclear engineering department, he accepted.

"A lot of what I'll be doing will be classified," he said. "But basically I'll be working with nuclear reactors on submarines."

In addition to having a "cool" job with the Navy, Dylan Mahnken said he is most excited about the opportunity to travel the world -- An opportunity not often available to people in small Missouri towns, he added.

Despite attending high schools in different towns and pursuing futures that likely will take them to different countries, the brothers said they make an effort to spend as much time as they can together.

"Between work and all of our different activities, it's sometimes difficult, but we still find time to do things together," Dylan Mahnken said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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