Advice bestowed at the Hills-Beaver Creek High School commencement Friday night encouraged graduates to continue leaning on those who supported them during their school years.
Three of those 2022 graduates will also rely on each other.
Star Herald readers were first introduced to the Leenderts triplets — Donavon, Danette and Drew — in July 2003, a month before their births.
For parents Dave and Dawn Leenderts and their soon-to-be 3-year-old, Dawson, the doubling of the family’s size was a surprise and an adjustment.
“The toughest part after the babies are born will be adjusting and figuring out how to manage three infants at one time — three schedules, three feedings — and trying to find room in our house,” Dawn said in 2003.
That house in rural Martin Township is “chaotic, at times,” Donavon said, sharing knowing looks and a grin with Danette and Drew. “There are three of us running around trying to do our own thing.”
This fall the three will go separate routes for the first time.
“It’s going to be different,” Donovan said.
He will attend Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota, for diesel technology. He’ll return to a job he has now at a Larchwood, Iowa, repair shop.
Danette plans to attend South Dakota State University, majoring in animal science before moving on to vet school.
Drew will also be at SDSU, studying agronomy, a career choice influenced by his dad’s work with New Vision in Hills.
It will be an adjustment for the triplets. “You just always had someone there,” Danette said, adding she won’t miss the teasing from her brothers.
While the Leenderts siblings won’t see each other daily, they plan to be in contact with one another, much like they do now.
“We’re not crazy far away,” Danette said, adding that texts become more frequent “when we need something.”
Their independence was fostered early in the triplets’ lives when they were split between the morning and afternoon preschool sessions.
However, H-BC’s small class sizes meant the three were often together. The boys graduated with honors and Danette with high honors.
“I think I just tried a little harder,” she said. Drew added, “She had to deal with us.”
Because they are not identical in appearance and of different genders, teachers and students had no trouble telling the three apart.
“I feel most people didn’t know we were triplets,” Danette said.
People’s reaction when they find out was “Wow,” Drew said.
The triplets agree on how their parents will do when they all leave. “Lonely,” Danette said grinning and giving a knowing look at her brothers.