Quadruplets to graduate together from MSU Denver

In 2000, four healthy babies were born one after the other in a Denver hospital, a rare and special moment for the Molnar family.

And next month, another amazing moment will take place when, 23 years later, all four of those former babies graduate together from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

The Molnar siblings — Abigail, Rachael, Julia and Luke — will raise their caps and tassels in unison at Commencement on May 12 as each celebrates earning a bachelor’s degree. And the day will be just that much more special for being a family affair.

“I’ve always been proud of my siblings and cheered them on throughout college, so graduating with them will be awesome,” said Julia. “It’s the end of an era, and I’m so excited to see what life holds for us in the future.”

Range of interests

While the four are alike in many ways, their educational tastes are quite eclectic. And that shows in their diverse choice of study topics, which incorporate technology, health care and the manufacturing industry.

Julia, who has “always loved active, hands-on work,” studied Advanced Manufacturing with a concentration in Aerospace.

“When I learned about Industry 4.0 and the hands-on manufacturing that goes into aerospace and defense, I was hooked,” she said. “This degree will also open up so many opportunities in countless industries, which is really exciting.”

Abigail followed her software-engineer father’s footsteps by choosing a technology degree. “Gaining a B.S. in Cybersecurity, along with a certificate in Water Studies, will open up numerous avenues for professional growth and a steady career,” she said.

Rachael opted for a B.S. in Integrative Health Care, which “combines conventional therapies with complementary therapies to care for individuals as a whole,” she said, with a minor in Biology.

Never one to rest on her laurels, she has also applied for a Cybersecurity master’s degree at MSU Denver. “I believe that I can use my passion for health care to protect patients’ privacy, security and health,” she said.

Luke, meanwhile, studied Mechanical Engineering Technology with a minor in Mathematics. “I always had an aptitude toward math and enjoyed the idea of sustainability,” he said. “Plus, it’s a great degree to fall back on if I ultimately end up trying something different.”

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Zest for life

The Molnar siblings may have come a long way, but there was something special about them from the outset.

Born late on the night of Oct. 14, 2000 (the youngest, Rachael, barely made it at 10 seconds to midnight), they presented a real rarity: In the previous two years, there had been only one other live set of quadruplets born in Colorado.

Even more surprising was the robust health of all four tiny tots who, despite arriving seven weeks early, came into the world already swinging for the fences.

Julia ascribes the family’s outsize zest for life to their faith, which she says has inspired her to always embrace opportunities and work diligently toward goals, whatever the task.

She also gives major credit to her parents. “As hardworking and caring individuals, they are great role models,” she said. “Throughout my college career, they gave me unwavering support and guidance and never let me back down when things got tough.”

Good choice

It was no accident that the Molnars collectively chose MSU Denver. They grew up in Morrison, so the University was close and, equally important, affordable.

“My parents had to put five kids through college — our older brother, Roman, graduated two years earlier with a degree in Fire and Emergency Administration,” Rachael explained. “So we were looking for a sustainable option that offered interesting degrees but would also give us an opportunity to graduate debt-free.”

Despite following tough study schedules, all four siblings also held down jobs during their college time and even found time for extra activities.

Luke, for example, worked as a tutor for Student Academic Services, teaching math, engineering and physics. (“He’s a pretty smart guy,” Rachael remarked.) Abigail was the president of MSU Denver’s Women in Cybersecurity chapter, and Julia was recently named the Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute’s Outstanding Student of the Year in her graduating class.

Sibling support

It’s a safe guess that many brothers and sisters probably would not love bumping into one another at college, but the Molnar brood got along just fine.

“I absolutely loved being on campus with my siblings,” Julia said. “I was even in the same class with a couple of them, which was great fun.”

“Remember: We are good friends as well as siblings,” Luke added. “And just like anyone else going to college with friends, we were bound to have a good time.”

Still, brothers and sisters can be competitive. Did things ever get a little feisty when comparing test scores or GPAs?

“We actually are all competitive,” said Abigail. “But all our degrees are so fundamentally different that it’s genuinely hard to compare them against each other.

“Besides, it’s nicer to offer some sibling support than to pit ourselves against each other. We’ve always basically been on the same team.”

New challenges

With college now retreating into the rearview mirror, the Molnars are excited for the future.

Abigail and Julia are joining Lockheed Martin (as a cyberintelligence analyst and project engineer, respectively). Rachael plans to start a Cybersecurity master’s program this summer, and Luke is weighing his options before deciding on his next step.

The Molners’ story seems almost too good to be true — quadruplets who grew up to be bright, happy students and got along well with one another. Were there a few misunderstandings and scrapes along the way?

“Well, we were home-schooled, so of course we have had our moments,” Rachael laughed. “But even when there’s been a disagreement, we soon move on because we genuinely do get along well together.”

Julia agreed: “I guess we’re just lucky that we’re such good friends.”