Four Geaney’s in a row (left to right): Aidan ’24, Beibhinn ’25, Isla ’26, Finlay ’27.
“I’m seeing double everywhere I go,” said Dana Tan ’25 on the walk up the hill after School Meeting.
Perhaps you share that same sentiment — and to a degree, it’s well-founded. There are 68 sets of siblings on campus this year, and we interviewed some of them to learn about how siblinghood has impacted their Choate experiences.
Nick Aldrich ’24 & Eliza Aldrich ’27
For Nick Aldrich ’24, whose freshman year was spent mostly online due to Covid-19, his sister Eliza Aldrich ’27 is providing a glimpse into what an authentic freshman year experience would be like.
“It’s fulfilling to hear about how her life at Choate’s been going,” Nick said. “I kind of wish I had an older sibling when I came here.”
Eliza agreed that it was nice to have someone who “knows the ropes” and could answer her questions, from dealing with mail room mishaps to regulating course loads.
Eliza said that she doesn’t feel like she’s living in her brother’s shadow, even when teachers mention him. “I got very lucky with a brother that’s a very good model,” she said with a laugh.
Eliza summarized the experience of siblinghood at Choate as having someone to relate to.
“We both know what it’s like to be away from San Francisco,” she said. “So I could say ‘I wish it was foggy,’ and he would understand.”
Ryder Holloway ’24 & Ty Holloway ’25
Ryder Holloway ’24 and Ty Holloway ’25 are one of only two pairs of siblings this year that are children of faculty or staff members.
Growing up on campus did not impact their excitement upon coming to Choate. “It was always both of our dreams to come to Choate,” Ryder said. “So it was cool to give [Ty] a little insight as to what Choate was all about.”
The brothers consider themselves to be very different. Ty jokingly pointed out that while he spends a lot of time in Colony Hall, his brother would never willingly step foot inside the building. Despite this, Ryder said, “It’s cool being able to watch him grow up and share our experience at Choate together.”
“Yeah, and occasionally he [Ryder Holloway ’24] gets some math help,” Ty added.
Zainab Khokha ’24 & Zahabiya Khokha ’27
Zainab Khokha ’24 has been both a younger Choate sibling to Mohammad Khokha ’21 and more recently, an older Choate sibling to Zahabiya Khokha ’27.
Now as a senior, Zainab finally understands why her older brother always chose to sleep in rather than get to class early.
“Having this role-reverse is a great conclusion to my time at Choate, because in freshman year, I had somebody to look up to like my brother,” Zainab said. “Now, I’ve taken on that role as the guide.”
For Zahabiya, having not just one, but two older Choate siblings feels like a safety net. “It’s nice to be able to see familiar faces on campus and be like, ‘oh my god, that’s Zainab’s friend!’” she said. “They’ve all given me advice, so it’s not like I just have one person here, I have a whole group to bounce off of in case it gets hard.”
As day students, the sisters’ favorite moment together is their daily car ride home. “I’m really proud of Zahabiya for the progress she’s made socially,” said Zainab. “She’ll talk to me the whole car ride home, and it makes me really happy. We’re closer, even already.”
Carmen de Vries ’25 & Veronique de Vries ’26
Despite being sisters, not twins, Carmen de Vries ’25 and Veronique de Vries ’26 joined Choate at the same time — Veronique as a freshman, and Carmen as a new sophomore.
The idea to apply to Choate came from Veronique. “I was really excited about the possibility of going to a boarding school, but Carmen was very against it at first,” she said. “I knew that boarding school would be such a fulfilling experience for the both of us, so I made her apply.”
Luckily, Carmen doesn’t regret attending Choate. In fact, she said, “I’m kind of jealous that [Veronique] got to come as a freshman and start from the beginning … But I’m glad she made me come here.”
The sisters often make plans to have dinner together on the weekends and are grateful that they live close to each other on campus. They also share their Chinese 650 class and play squash together.
“Maybe having siblings at other schools would push you to be more outgoing, but it’s also comforting,” said Veronique. “I like having her at school.”
“She’s okay,” Carmen admitted grudgingly.
Aidan Geaney ’24, Beibhinn Geaney ’25, Isla Geaney ’26, & Finlay Geaney ’27
There’s a Geaney in every form at Choate this year. This is the first time siblings have spanned across all four year groups simultaneously in Choate’s history.
For Finlay Geaney ’27, who has three older siblings at the School, coming to Choate felt preordained. “Every person I run into asks me if I’m Aidan’s brother,” he said. “And I’m like, ‘yep, that’s me.’”
Even as the second youngest of the four, Isla Geaney ’26 still gives advice to Finlay. “I more so tell him not to do things than to do things, but I do try to impart a little bit of my wisdom,” she said.
The travel experience with four siblings can also be quite overwhelming: “When we go home on break with our suitcases and what-not, everyone’s just spurting out stories, and it’s very chaotic,” Isla said.
However, having several siblings also comes with its perks. For example, each sibling’s social circles encompass each others’ friends as well, which allows for easy bonding. Isla and Finlay described a game their friends have been playing, called “Geaney Bingo.” “Essentially, they try to spot all four Geaneys in a day,” Isla said.
So, the next time you’re walking down the path and see one of the Geaney siblings, you may silently count to yourself, “That’s one.”
Despite the differences in experiences, siblings are always there for one another to ride out the highs and lows of their time at Choate. “It’s like bringing a piece of home with you,” Veronique said, sharing a warm smile with her sister. And sometimes, that little piece of home is all you need.
