For twin sisters Andria and Andre’a Garwood, the phrase “together from the start” couldn’t be more true.
Born and raised on Detroit’s west side in the Bagley community, the 21-year-old sisters have accomplished every major milestone side-by-side — from graduating high school, to earning top honors in college, and now being accepted into the University of Michigan’s Master of Social Work program.
The twins are proud graduates of Mumford High School (Class of 2021), where their academic drive first took root. After high school, the sisters continued their shared path at Wayne State University, both pursuing a degree in Social Work. They balanced their studies with work and life’s everyday challenges — and their hard work paid off.
Both graduated Summa Cum Laude, the university’s highest academic honor. Now, their journey continues at the University of Michigan, where they will begin their Master of Social Work degrees in Fall 2025.
“There were moments that I felt like giving up. I was working, studying, and trying to keep everything together was draining. But I reminded myself who I was doing it for and that was my community, my family, and myself. I had my sister walking beside me the whole way,” said Andria.
Andria says her passion for social work came from witnessing both hardship and resilience in her community.
Andre’a shares a similar story. “What inspired me was my passion for social work grew out of seeing the gaps and care and opportunity in Detroit. I did not just want to talk about change, I wanted to be trained to make it happen,” she said.
When challenges hit, Andre’a says it was their twin bond that kept them both moving forward. “There were times I was wondering if I was doing enough. But I learned that during my own journey I was going to face difficult challenges, and knowing that my sister was on the same path as me helped me push forward when things got hard,” she said.
Their long-term goal is to become clinical social workers, focusing on mental health and substance abuse recovery, with plans to return and serve the very communities that raised them.
