Quintuplets Make History as They Graduate from the Same College: ‘A Gigantic Moment’

The five graduates earned degrees in different majors, ranging from political science to teaching

A set of quintuplets have left a milestone mark on a New Jersey university after simultaneously graduating on the same day.

The five Povolo siblings — Victoria, Ludovico, Ashley, Michael and Marcus — accepted their college diplomas from Montclair State University on Monday, May 13, according to a release shared by the institution.

The quintuplets, who were born on July 4, 2002 and dubbed the “Five Little Firecrackers” by the press, specialized in five different programs, with Victoria earning a degree in biochemistry with a minor in Italian; Ludovico majoring in political science with minors in pre-law and business and Ashley completing an english major in the teacher education program. Additionally, Michael majored in nutrition and food science and Marcus earned a business administration degree, the university shared.

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“It’s a gigantic moment for them and for us,” the sibling's father, Paolo Povolo, said, per the release. “So basically, we’ve been saying, ‘When one door closes another one opens.’ In the sense that college is coming to an end, we have to think of the future, we have to think of what’s next … and that is in the making.”

Montclair State University, a public university known as the second largest institution of higher learning in New Jersey, believes this is the first time a set of quintuplets have graduated from a higher education institution in the state.

The institution, "which [holds] two commencements for students based on their college or school," even made special accommodations "so the Povolos [could] receive their diplomas together at the morning ceremony" on Monday.

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Given that they were all entering college at the same time, Michael said that they considered exploring other options, like "community college, jobs and training programs." But in the end, he added, "Each of us wanted very different things in terms of majors. But the one thing we shared was applying to Montclair."

The Povolos, meanwhile, have been candid about their appreciation for the financial aid support, with Montclair revealing that each of them qualified for Presidential Scholarships among additional grants and scholarships. According to the university, the total "amounted to a tuition-free four years for the family," which changed the trajectory for one of the Povolo kin.

"I was very aware of the financial situation of my family," Victoria said. "If it had been too much, I would have bowed out and just not gone to college because I didn’t want to put that on my parents, and I didn’t want to put that on myself financially."

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According to CBS News, the Povolos are first-generation college students. Their mother, Silvia Povolo, told the outlet, "We didn't go to college. We came from another country and here they are blooming."

She referred to her children’s graduation as “a dream come true."

A similar achievement occurred in 2023 when a set of quadruplets graduated together from Metropolitan State University in Denver and also received scholarships from the school that allowed them to graduate debt-free.

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