By Sarrah Peters, News Editor
A set of triplets is graduating all three receiving academic honors and impressive extracurricular achievements from Hokes Bluff High School this spring.
David Vest is graduating fifth in his class with a full scholarship to attend the University of Alabama in the fall, where he hopes to pursue a business degree. He plays baseball and is involved in Beta Club and the Future Farmers of America (FFA). After school, he works at Johnson’s Giant Food.
Patrick Vest is graduating seventh in his class with a full academic scholarship to attend the University of Alabama Huntsville in the fall where he intends to pursue a degree in computer engineering. He played football and is in the Future Business Leader of America (FBLA), where he recently placed first in a computer problem-solving competition. He can also ride a unicycle, a talent he showed off in a talent show while solving a Rubix cube. He works at Office Depot and refurbishes computers out of his home.
Patrick said that he was inspired to attend UAH after he attended a cyber camp with NASA in Huntsville where he had the opportunity to meet several UAH instructors.
Christopher Vest is graduating tenth in his class with a merit-based scholarship to attend Jacksonville State University in the fall to pursue a degree in finance. He was involved with track and field. He works at Johnson’s Giant Food.
Kathy Vest, the boys’ mother said that all the boys are very responsible and have saved for more economical cars, as well as attempting to go through college debt-free without having to depend on their parents to pay for it.
Being triplets has never been weird for them.
“It’s the only thing we’ve ever known,” said David. “It is a lot of fun. We’re definitely not bored and we always have somebody to do something with.”
Kathy said that raising triplets was similar to being one.
“I didn’t ever have one child, so that’s all I knew,” said Kathy.
Kathy said that each of her sons has different interests and strengths, but that they work well together.
“They bounce off of each other and they feed off of each other’s strengths,” said Kathy.
All of the Vest boys are involved at their church, The Church of the Highlands.
Kathy and Clay Vest were told they probably couldn’t have children, so the couple decided to do IVF treatments. Although the couple had decided to only implant two embryos, the doctor encouraged them to implant three to increase the chances of success.
“All three made it and have been a huge blessing,” said Kathy.
The boys were born 10 weeks early and spent six and a half weeks in NICU.
The boys also praised their parents’ support. Their father Clay would often work 10-hour days, but lose sleep to attend the boys’ sporting events and other events. Kathy praised the grandparents of the triplets as an “awesome support system,” and said that they would even attend the boys’ practices.