Gray twins head to MSU to pursue engineering degrees

Teachers at The Oaks – A Classical Christian Academy get a visual aid to tell apart identical twins Trent and Neal Gray: Trent wears a blue uniform shirt and Neal wears white.

The twins have attended the private Spokane Valley school since kindergarten, so most classmates can name them correctly, even when the brothers are in street clothes.

“Now that we’re older we look a little different,” said Neal Gray, who thinks his face is a little wider. “When we were younger, we looked really similar. I think I wore blue shoelaces, and Trent wore red shoelaces to help the teachers distinguish us. Some of our teachers would give us candy if they messed us up, just because they felt bad.”

Trent Gray laughed. “We never took advantage, probably should have.”

Soon, Montana State University faculty will be seeing double.

The brothers enter college with nearly identical academic marks. Trent Gray had a 3.89 GPA, matched closely by Neal Gray’s 3.84 GPA, and both had nearly the same high SAT score. They’re both National Merit Commended Scholars. At MSU, they’ll study engineering, but with a different focus.

Trent Gray plans to major in construction engineering technology, blending civil engineering with a construction emphasis, to become a contractor.

Neal Gray said he’ll pursue mechanical engineering. “That’s because I’ve always been interested in machines since a young age. I hope to be an automotive engineer or any type of mechanical engineer to make systems more efficient.”

The brothers chose to face their college transition without much separation at all. “We’re actually planning to room together, that will be the ultimate test,” said Trent Gray. They haven’t shared a room since they were younger.

Both said they get along well and share the same interests. The sons of Jeff and Robin Gray, they live on the South Hill and have an older brother, Evan, a Washington State University junior. All three worked seasonally at their grandfather’s organic cherry farm in Selah, Washington.

Neal Gray said that experience helping to manage annual harvests also inspired his interest in machinery. “There’s a lot of old machinery, and a lot of our time was spent working on machines that had broken down and trying to get them to work, like a tractor or a forklift.”

At 6-foot-2, the twins have played on the school’s basketball team, often on court at the same time. They also enjoy one-on-one court play against each other and equally like all outdoor sports. With any free time in Montana, they expect to go hiking, fishing, hunting, canoeing and skiing.

Secondary teacher Dr. Erik Strandness has known the Grays since they attended kindergarten with his own son.

“They’re very respectful, smart, introspective and polite,” he said. “They’re genuinely nice young men.”

Strandness said he now does better identifying them, but instructors appreciate the color-coded aid.

“They have blessed us as teachers by wearing different-colored shirts,” he said. “It’s a little harder when they have their street clothes on.”