CHOCOWINITY — There must be something in the water at the Perry household in Chocowinity, and whatever it is it’s helping to turn out some pretty smart young adults.

Or it could be genes, discipline and good study habits.

The Perry sisters, 18 year old Holly and 17 year old Emily, finished at the top of their respective classes at Southside High School this year. That means Holly was valedictorian of the Class of 2014 and Emily was chief marshal for the junior class.

The daughters of Jenny and Bobby Perry, the girls also have a younger brother Owen, a rising eighth grade student.

Holly was notified by SHS Principal Dale Cole two days before graduation that she had earned the top honor, so she immediately began polishing her commencement speech.

“I just kind of talked about things that I felt we need to be aware of, and reflect on, to be successful,” Holly said of her speech. “I talked about dealing with challenges, and learning that life won’t be one straight road … there will be curves, potholes and mud holes.”

While a student at Southside, Holly played flute in the school band and was senior class president. She was also active in the Math, Science, Key and Beta clubs.

Like her older sister, Emily is leading an active life on campus, immersing herself in many of the same clubs and activities. All the while, she was working hard to earn good grades, and those efforts paid off.

“At the beginning of the school year I found out I was tied for second (in class rankings),” Emily said. “I’ve always been in the top five, but it fluctuated and we all had very close grades. Then halfway through this year I found out I was number one.”

Emily held on to the top ranking and was told near the end of the school year that she was indeed chief marshal, an honor Holly held the previous year.

The younger sister said there was no pressure to compete with her older sibling.

“We try to be different people because we are so close in age,” Emily said.

And while Emily is looking forward to her senior year at SHS, a different adventure awaits Holly. In August she’ll leave Chocowinity for Raleigh, where she will attend North Carolina State University. She plans to major in biology and eventually become a doctor.

College will open up a different world for a young woman who attended Chocowinity Primary School, Chocowinity Middle School and Southside High School. But Holly said she feels prepared, thanks in part to the support she has received along the way.

“I’ve enjoyed the relationships between the students and teachers,” the elder Perry sister said. “They are always there for us.”