Identical twins Gianna and Tianna Tout-Puissant were born more than two months prematurely and suffered from severe health issues as infants. Now healthy 17-year-old athletes, the sisters are headed to Harvard University in the fall with the hopes of playing Division I basketball and one day becoming surgeons.

“To see them and how they’ve blossomed into the young women they are today, it’s like they’re miracle babies,” said their mother, Leah Tout-Puissant.

The Tout-Puissant sisters, recent graduates of Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, said getting into Harvard is “surreal,” and they’re excited to be surrounded by “hardworking and out-of-the-box thinkers” next year on the Massachusetts campus. Only 3.4% of the 56,937 applicants were admitted to the Ivy League school’s class of 2027.

The twins still remember the December day they found out they got in.

“We logged into our application portals at the exact same time, and then we read, ‘Congratulations,’ on each other’s screens, and then we just started all screaming,” Gianna said. “My mom was crying. It was crazy.”

The sisters, who live in Saylorsburg, plan to major in chemistry on the pre-medicine track and will apply to medical school after their undergraduate studies.

Gianna is interested in becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon or neurosurgeon, and Tianna is set on becoming a neurosurgeon for the time being, she said.

“I just think that’s amazing how different parts of the brain literally impact your personality,” Tianna said.

Both sisters are interested in how new pharmaceutical drugs can help patients, and said they are drawn to the tactile nature of surgery.

“I’ve always been very much a hands-on learner,” Gianna said, adding she enjoys activities, like painting, ceramics and embroidery. “I just love the physical, hands-on aspect of medicine.”

Gianna Tout-Puissant, Moravian Academy graduating senior, poses at the school on Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Bethlehem. The Tout-Puissant sisters are student-athletes and scholars who both will be attending Harvard University in the fall. (Rebecca Villagracia/The Morning Call)

The Tout-Puissant twins chose to major in chemistry at Harvard because of their experiences with the subject at Moravian Academy.

They enjoyed their labs and excelled in their chemistry classes, even helping underclassmen study for quizzes and complete problem sets throughout their senior year.

“I think a lot of their peers thought it was just natural for them,” said Cole Wisdo, their chemistry teacher. “But I had the real pleasure of seeing just how crazy hard they were working at it.”

Gianna and Tianna created detailed notes, stayed up late studying and took advantage of office hours to master chemistry concepts.

“Hard working is an understatement,” their mother said. “When you talk about hustle and grind, those are the words that define Gianna and Tianna when it comes to their schoolwork.”

This dedication also translated to their time playing varsity basketball for the past four years.

“They put the work in, year in and year out,” said Avon Mack, Moravian Academy’s girls basketball coach.

Gianna played shooting guard and small forward, improving her 3-point shot to become an “elite scorer” with an average of 14 points per game, her coach said. Tianna, who averaged 10 points per game, was a “smart player,” who made sure her teammates executed on offense as point guard, Mack added.

The sisters often spent hours in the gym after practice, honing their skills. They’re hoping those efforts pay off next year when they try out for Harvard’s Division I women’s team.

They’re excited to continue pursuing this and other goals together, they said.

“We’re absolutely each other’s best friends,” Gianna said. “We share a room, we have bunk beds, we do everything together.”

Part of the reason the twins have excelled in their studies and athletics thus far is because of their identical work ethic, but the sisters do have personality differences.

“I know this sounds cheesy, but we’re very yin and yang,” Tianna said. “She says this crazy idea, and then I’m like, ‘OK, let’s think about the pros and cons of this before we do it.’ And then she gets me to step out of my comfort zone.”

This pattern played out recently when Gianna suggested the two run a marathon, and Tianna set up a training plan to actually complete the 26.2-mile run, which is set for July 1.

Once they achieve this goal, they’re onto the next. The Tout-Puissant sisters are excited to keep challenging each other to succeed next year at Harvard, they said.

“We were really set on going to college together,” Gianna said. “And the fact that we were able to both get into such an amazing college was a dream come true.”