Mitchell High's Schroeder brothers bound for SDSU following graduation
May 14—MITCHELL — Dawson and Elijah Schroeder are twins, but you might miss that at first glance.
They are fraternal twins as opposed to identical, so they rarely get confused for one another when they walk the halls at Mitchell High School. On a recent weekday morning at the school, they are even supporting different NFL teams, with Dawson wearing a Dallas Cowboys shirt and Elijah sporting the shirt of their NFC rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.
But they also have much in common as brothers, including both being seniors on the edge of graduation. They will be two among the Mitchell High School class of 2024 to cross the stage Sunday and receive their diplomas before they head out for the next phase in life's journey.
It will be a big moment for the pair, who say that despite their shared birthday and an affinity for similar classroom subjects, they each have their own unique interests.
"I'd say we're very different. He's more athletic than I am for sure, but I think we've both been pretty good in school, so it's not like one of us is academic and one isn't," Dawson, who is 16 minutes older than his brother, told the Mitchell Republic in a recent interview. "But I'm definitely more into fishing and hunting and outdoor stuff."
Elijah, on the other hand, likes spending time outdoors in other pursuits.
"And when I'm outside I like to be doing sports, so there are those differences," Elijah said.
The two speak like they've spent a lifetime around each other. One anticipates the answer to a question put to the other and then dovetails their own response to complement his brother's answer. They've answered countless questions about being twins, and now are quite used to explaining their similarities and differences.
The two have been in each other's orbit since they were kindergartners in the Hanson School District, where they were students until they moved to Mitchell in second grade. They entered the district attending L.B. Williams Elementary School. They've always been in the same grade, though not always in the same classroom.
They started seeing each other in class daily in middle school, but throughout their time in elementary, middle and high school they've been more friends and partners than sibling rivals.
"I don't think we ever had issues being together or not being together. It's just how it happened," Dawson said.
Elijah agreed.
"It's just another person in the classroom. We're good friends, so there's nothing really to it," Elijah said.
Elijah participates in cross country and track and is especially fond of distance running, particularly the 800 meters and the mile. Dawson, on the other hand, is taking part in track during his senior season, taking up the pole vault, something he said he's just learning and having fun with. Dawson is also a student representative to the Mitchell Board of Education and sits in on its monthly meetings.
Their biggest activities crossover with each other has been show choir, however, which they've both taken part in and thoroughly enjoyed over the past four years.
"It's a really good program, with lots of traveling and learning. It's just been a good experience," Dawson said. "That would be the thing that we're most connected to."
It's been a similar experience for Elijah, who said he's made some lifelong friends in the program, and both praise the leadership of Nick McGraw, the show choir the past five years.
When it comes to academics, the brothers also share an affinity for the classroom. Dawson holds a particular interest in history, and both say they are heavily interested in biology. They've spent much of their senior year focused on dual credit courses to give them a leg up on their upcoming college studies.
Sharing the same classes comes in handy as brothers. They can help each other with their studies, although their approaches to learning differ.
"We're both pretty good at helping each other out. It is funny, a lot of the time people expect us to have the same process in a class, but it's not always that way. But we're good at helping each other out," Dawson said.
They'll be able to lean on each other when they go to college, as well. Both are expecting to enroll in South Dakota State University next year. Dawson will major in human biology on a pre-med track. He hopes eventually to move on to medical school at the University of South Dakota.
Elijah, on the other hand, will also attend SDSU majoring in exercise science and pre-chiropractic. From there he hopes to attend Northwestern Health Science University in Minnesota for chiropractic school.
The two will each room with a friend from the Mitchell show choir program who are also attending SDSU, which will allow the brothers to remain close while also carving out their own space on campus. Eventually, the two say the four of them may all move in together after their freshman year.
Both are anxious to dive into their college studies.
"SDSU has a really nice biology program and I'm really looking forward to that and getting to work in some different lab environments. But (I'm also looking forward) to doing stuff with friends," Dawson said. "There are a ton of good fishing areas up in Brookings, so that's something I'm looking forward to."
As the more athletic of the two, Elijah is hoping to help other athletes overcome injuries, something he did not have to deal with much in school.
"(I'm looking forward to) just being able to really start diving into my degree and focusing on that. I want to specify working with athletics and athletes with injuries," Elijah said. "I've never had a serious injury that had to be worked on, but I'm interested in working with people on that."
While Dawson is out fishing during his free time, Elijah suspects he will be found on the intramural sports scene, particularly sand volleyball.
"It's another opportunity to meet people and do things with friends," Elijah said.
College will be a change from high school.
They note they will miss the friends they won't see as often when they move to Brookings, and they'll miss the teachers and school officials who have made a difference in their lives. That includes McGraw and Joe Childs, the district superintendent. They have fond memories of Leann Carmody, the district food service director and both say Steve Morgan's history classes have been a highlight over the years.
And then there's the Mitchell community, which they say has embraced them ever since they arrived at L.B. Williams. They have grown up here, made countless friends and a lifetime of memories.
Leaving that, their parents John and Renee and their four sisters, behind for a new academic world will be bittersweet.
"The community, and some of the seniors I've grown closer to this year," Elijah said. "It's a nice community and families here, so not seeing them as often will be different."
It's all gone by so fast, they say, but they're ready for the challenge college will bring. After years of class, activities and fun times, they can now look back on their experiences and apply them to what lies ahead in Brookings and beyond.
Getting to this point has had its ups and downs, but they said a little focus in the classroom goes a long way, as does stopping to enjoy the process.
"Work hard and always focus on the end goal," Dawson said. "Classes may seem annoying to you, and you might not want to do the work now and then, but it really makes a huge impact on getting ready for college. The teachers here really do put in a ton of work to make sure you have the necessary knowledge to move on, so put the full effort in."
Elijah, once again, agrees.
"Take the time to actually enjoy it and not just go from one step to the next and just get by, but enjoy it," Elijah said. "And mainly for the juniors — it's good to have a plan, but don't be so stressed about knowing exactly what you're going to be doing, because that can change. Relax a little bit and enjoy it while you're here."
The 2024 Mitchell High School graduation ceremony is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19 at the Corn Palace.
