Though most students at Sage know the Gouls individually as brilliant academics, scientists and friends, they don’t always realize that they all have the same birthday.

Seniors Claire, Edward and Chris Goul are the only set of triplets on the Sage campus, but are difficult to identify even as siblings for students who don’t know them, since they all pride themselves on their individuality.

“Always being grouped with them [Claire and Chris] has made me strive to be different. My brother and I are sometimes viewed as the same person, which I think gives us an impetus to be two different people,” Edward Goul said.

However, the Goul triplets still respect and support one another’s’ diverse interests. “Being a triplet has helped me because I have many people to work with,” Chris Goul said.

“When I want to learn more about physics or engineering, I can ask Edward or Chris,” Claire Goul added.

Edward Goul spoke more of the varied interests of the three Goul scientists. “I have always been interested in math and physics, Claire is interested in biology and Chris is interested in engineering. It’s interesting that we all independently came to like things in the sciences. I think Claire was inspired in the sciences by Mr. Zarubin’s Accelerated Biology class, and I’ve been interested in math and physics for a long time,” Edward said.

And they did all end up scientists, despite having a mother who is a deputy district attorney and a father who is a judge. “I haven’t ever been interested in law,” Claire Goul said. “I think knowing what our parents do makes it less interesting,” Chris Goul added.

“My parents haven’t influenced my academic interests at all,” Edward Goul said, having been interviewed separately.

But the Gouls will leave a lasting impact on the Sage community through their general humility, love for each other and remarkable drive to reach out to others and change the world. “I haven’t thought much about what will happen when we leave next year. I guess we’ll see each other over the summer,” Chris Goul said.

“We’re pretty independent, so we won’t likely feel like a part of us is missing…The impact that I hope to leave on Orange County when I’m gone is my service learning group. In our group, we get kits of science supplies for students…I hope I can help kids get really excited about service,” Claire Goul commented.

“I don’t know [if I will miss them], probably not really. We don’t do many of the same things, so we’re not really in many of the same classes anymore. But I think it will be nice to see them during the summer,” Edward Goul added.

When we talk about diversity on Sage’s campus, having triplets who are all students here is a kind of diversity we may never get again. But Claire, Edward and Chris Goul cannot really be grouped together. By virtue of being triplets, they have developed into three very different people.