For McKenley Butler and Jordan Butler, together is the best way to be.
They aren鈥檛 just identical twins, they鈥檙e inseparable best friends who tackle life as a team.
They grew up doing everything together and knew they鈥檇 go to college together, too. This May, they鈥檒l graduate together 鈥� with the same majors 鈥� with plans to attend law school and dreams of someday practicing law together, too.
鈥淲e get the most accomplished when we work together,鈥� Jordan said.
The two grew up in Louisville鈥檚 Lyndon neighborhood and attended Ballard High School. They鈥檝e always shared the same friends and interests. It was never a question whether they鈥檇 attend college together.
They chose Bellarmine because of the university鈥檚 small class sizes, strong academic focus and generous financial aid. They both received need-based and academic scholarships and will graduate debt-free.
They lived together on campus and then commuted from their mom鈥檚 house. Initially, McKenley was a Psychology major and Jordan was a Political Science major.
鈥淏ut we were both interested in each other鈥檚 majors,鈥� Jordan said.
Their interests were partly informed by watching their parents settle a difficult divorce in the court system.
鈥淎lso, being biracial has shaped a lot of what we do and are interested in, just paying attention to differing perspectives, having different sets of families. It makes you want to figure things out,鈥� McKenley said.
So, they picked up each other鈥檚 majors, becoming double majors. McKenley also added a minor in African and African American Diaspora Studies (AAADS), which helped her feel more grounded at Bellarmine, a predominately white institution, she said.
They got involved with the Office of Identity and Inclusion, the and a . As first-year students, they took an impactful trip to Selma, Alabama, that focused on racial injustice.
Most of their classes have been together鈥攕o much so that professors would react with surprise if they had a class with only one of them enrolled.
鈥淲e study together, but a few times we did have classes apart, which proves we can do it alone. But doing it together is so much better for us,鈥� Jordan said.
That approach came in handy when it was time to study for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). They spent about six hours a day together last summer studying, going over practice tests and quizzing each other.
鈥淚f you can make that experience good, you know you have a good thing. We were able to make studying for the LSAT fun in some crazy way,鈥� Jordan said.
They were both accepted to the University of Louisville School of Law. They鈥檙e not sure yet what type of law they鈥檒l study but they鈥檝e talked about starting a practice together someday. They said they feel ready for law school.
鈥淚 definitely feel prepared by my time at Bellarmine,鈥� McKenley said. 鈥淏ellarmine gave us the tools to have law school as an option. We knew from the beginning that this is a school that prepares you for next steps.鈥�
Jordan said relationships with professors have meant a lot to them.
鈥淭he impact of our professors on us was a huge part of our story,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e met some literally amazing professors. Professors have been very supportive of our interests and gone out of their way to make sure we felt comfortable, heard and challenged at the same time.鈥�
McKenley said overall, their college experience has been what they hoped it would be, even if much of it took place during the COVID pandemic.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 been a good experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 feel very blessed to have been able to come here.鈥�