Born weighing just 2 lb. 6 oz. and 2 lb. 10 oz. respectively, Sohom and Sayan remained hospitalized for several weeks until they weighed four pounds and could finally come home to their family in Beavercreek.
Their future was not certain.
“The doctors at Miami Valley were not, at first, hopeful for their long-term survival,” Shantanu said.
But by the time they were six months old, they were “pretty much fine. They have been pretty steady in their learning and brain development has been normal,” said their mother, Sumitra.
Now 18 years old, the boys recently graduated with honors from Beavercreek High School on June 1. Sohom was named the only valedictorian in his class of nearly 600 and Sayan was one of the salutatorians.
“If we had any challenges they were resolved years ago,” Sohom said. “We had asthma but we weren’t coddled so we didn’t really know there were any problems.”
Eventually both boys played soccer and Sayan played football while Sohom played tennis, all the while continuing to excel at academics. Sohom’s grade point average at graduation was nearly 4.7 and Sayan’s an impressive 4.58.
Last year, the boys were chosen to take part in the Wright Scholar Research Assistant program, which is designed to employ local high school students at Wright Patterson Air Force Base during the summer. Students taking part in the program should have expressed interest in engineering and science and the Manna twins are both planning careers involving these specialty areas.
“Last summer I learned a lot about human factors engineering and biological research,” Sohom said. “It’s also a great way to learn about working with other people in a real life office setting.”
Sayan’s work was at the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. Both boys have been approved to be interns in the program again this summer.
In keeping with their interests and experience, the boys have chosen career paths that will not only challenge them academically but will require years of study. They both plan to attend Ohio State University in the fall, with Sayan majoring in neuroscience with the plan of eventually becoming a doctor of psychiatry. Sohom plans to major in biomedical science so he can eventually earn his PhD and work towards a career in medical research.
“I’m worried about the competitiveness of the program,” Sohom said. “They only choose about 100 to interview and of that, only 22 make it into the program. But I’ve always been organized and responsible so I think I should be OK.”
Meanwhile, his brother, Sayan admits he has always had some difficulty focusing and is easily distracted.
“My brother has helped keep me on track, but I know in college there is a lot less supervision so I will have to stay focused,” he said.
Both boys have received a myriad of awards, including one for volunteer hours they have spent at Miami Valley Hospital helping staff and patients. But each has a most significant moment that stands out during their high school careers.
“For me it was being chosen Valedictorian,” Sohom said. “I worked hard for many years for that and it has been a true highlight.”
Sayan said that he didn’t know he was going to be among the salutatorians until the first semester of this year.
“I am proud of my test scores, especially on the SAT when I scored 2340 out of 2400, almost perfect.” Sayan did score perfect on the critical reading and math portions with a 1600.
But to their parents, the boys are simply their own miracles and they are proud not only of their accomplishments but also of what they overcame to get there.
“No matter what, I believe that by providing them with a good support system and teaching them morality has paid off,” Shantanu said. “I just want them to be good human beings and citizens. No matter what, these are our sons. And they are our world.”
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