Colorado quadruplets Abigail, Rachael, Julia and Luke Molnar occasionally found their lives fodder for sitcom-like shenanigans as the quartet tackled college together at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
The sisters with their wavy brown hair and megawatt smiles sat in for each other’s classes on occasion just to see if they could pass for another — and they could, no problem. They were used to getting confused with each other on campus, often leading to funny mishaps.
“It’s been the biggest blessing to have three built-in best friends here,” Abigail said.
While there was no sitcom laugh track, the siblings said they shared plenty of hilarity, camaraderie and collaboration as the crew of four took on the college experience as a team. Now, they and 2,073 others will graduate Friday as part of MSU Denver’s Class of 2023.
In a Denver Post interview on the Auraria campus — where the quadruplets answered questions amid jokes and reminiscing — the Molnars talked about how they’re conquering college graduation the only way they’ve known thus far: side by side.
From homeschooling to the big leagues
Since birth, Abigail, Rachael, Julia and Luke have been making news. Their entrance into the world scored its own story in The Post in 2000.
The Molnars’ K-12 academic experience was just as unique as their birth. The quadruplets were homeschooled, learning their ABCs, 123s and beyond under their own roof.
“It allowed us to bond,” Rachael said.
When the siblings got of age, they took on part-time jobs and started saving for college. Their older brother, Roman, paved the way, graduating from MSU Denver in 2021. While the idea of putting five kids through college around the same time is enough to make any parent have heart palpitations, the Molnar quadruplets said they were taught to budget and think about completing college in a way that would reduce as much debt as possible.
MSU Denver seemed like the ideal choice so the siblings could save money while living at home.
The transition from homeschooling to MSU Denver in the fall of 2019 was smooth sailing, the quadruplets said. The Molnars grew up participating in sports and working at their parents’ candle shop, so they said they weren’t the stereotypical introverts some people may associate with homeschoolers.
“Our parents didn’t want us to be sheltered,” Julia said.
The big shock came when COVID-19 hit and classes transitioned online, bringing their short-lived traditional schooling experience to a halt, they said.
“We joked that we had been preparing for this moment our whole lives,” Luke said, noting that online school was second-nature to the homeschooling bunch.
The real fun began when everyone was back on campus in-person, the siblings said. They found themselves in several of the same classes, which proved for some healthy competition and support. The Molnars were big fans of doing group projects together or soliciting honest opinions and brainstorming sessions on homework assignments.
“We already get along, so it’s easy,” Rachael said.
Julia said she loved having her sibling support system around to curb the anxiety of starting somewhere new and not knowing anyone and equally loved watching their friend groups expand as they met new people.
“If they’re Luke’s friends, they’re my friends, and that’s kind of how we do things,” Julia said.
Going their own ways
A whiteboard in the Molnars’ kitchen counts down to graduation day. The senioritis is hitting hard, Luke said, but Friday’s commencement ceremony draws ever closer.
As the Molnars walked to pick up their graduation gowns last month, they waved to new friends, pointed out each others’ classroom buildings and remembered good times they’d had together — and apart — on the Auraria campus.
Soon, the quadruplets who have walked the same path for the past couple of decades will diverge on their individual journeys.
Abby is a cybersecurity major and president of a women-in-cybersecurity student group on campus. Julia majored in advanced manufacturing with a concentration in aerospace, and recently landed a job at Lockheed Martin. Luke studied mechanical engineering technology and worked as a student tutor in academic services. Rachel is an integrative health major who is considering a master’s degree in cybersecurity.
“We didn’t have the dorms, parties — you know, that kind of college experience — but knowing we don’t have debt and that we helped our parents out by doing it this way, it’s really a big accomplishment,” Rachael said.
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