Knoch triplets forge their own paths
On his first day of first grade, Austen Haugh said he felt nervous.
The 18-year-old recalled the crayons, rulers and supplies laid out on his desk and the way he sat quietly in the vibrantly decorated classroom — without his siblings.
Throughout their childhood and into high school, Austen, Emma and Gavin, who are triplets, shared friends, classes and, sometimes, interests.
On May 30, the three graduated from Knoch High School. While their careers and studies may intersect, they will continue forging their own individual paths forward.
Following graduation, both Austen and Gavin will complete their associate degrees in aerospace management from Community College of Beaver County before starting their bachelor’s degree programs at Southern Illinois University.
Both brothers want to fly around the world as commercial pilots at legacy airlines such as Delta. Gavin already has his private pilot license, he said, and Austen is close to obtaining his.
Gavin, who initially dreamed of being a lawyer, said he gained an interest in flying from his brother.
In fifth grade, Austen said he and his parents attended an event in Butler that featured an adventure flight.
“They allowed you to go up in the plane for a little bit, and I remember I was super nervous,” he said. “I got picked to be co-pilot. I remember being up there and just taking off. I remember looking at the ground from 2,000 feet up in the air, and I was just like, ‘Wow.’ After that, I really wanted to fly planes for the rest of my life.”
The two began the program and their associate degree while still in high school, balancing advanced placement courses with college assignments.
“I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life and actually progress into the world,” Gavin said about graduating.
The only girl, Emma said she is excited to have some time apart from her siblings as she studies biochemistry at Grove City College. The aviation program wasn’t for her, she said. As a little girl, she thought about being a pediatrician. Now, she hopes to stay in the medical field and aspires to be a dentist.
“I’ll miss my brothers, but I’m excited to move on without them,” she said.
Looking back to her time in high school, Emma recalled when her cross country team advanced to the state competition. Reflecting on a cherished memory, Gavin said he will remember summers and sitting by the fire with his friends.
Austen said notable moments are going to football games with friends. He named Molly Trudgen, a new teacher at the high school, as an educator who had left an impression on him.
“I’d probably go down to her room, like, six out of the eight periods a day,” he said. “We would talk about anything that was going on in my life.”
In talking about their future plans, the siblings denounced the idea of a “twin sense.” Being asked about life as a triplet is a common question, Gavin said, but beyond coming in handy as an icebreaker, being a triplet doesn’t have a lot of bearing on their identities.
“Going on our separate ways is kind of nice,” Gavin said. “Every time someone sees us, they always notice we’re triplets. It’s like a label.”
It comes with advantages and disadvantages, Emma said.
“Starting school, you kind of come with a built-in buddy,” she said. “Me and Gavin, we were always in the same classes, so we could always help each other.”
“We shared friends throughout high school and middle school,” Emma said.
While the brothers will stay home for another year until they transfer to a university out of state, Emma will move into a dorm on campus in the fall, where she hopes to join the cheer team and go rock-climbing and backpacking.
“I’ll call them every now and then, but I think I’ll like being my own, a separate person,” Emma said.
