Four of a Kind

At California High School, the Duarte quadruplets — Yadira, Jesus, Marianna, and Fernando — have grown up side by side, sharing classrooms, fields, and countless memories. Though they’ve spent their whole lives as a set, each of them is carving out their own path during senior year. From football fields to softball diamonds, the Duartes show that being a quadruplet means balancing togetherness with individuality.

Yadira shares the same sentiment many siblings do: “I like having siblings, it’s fun, but you know sometimes it can be annoying. But they are always there when you need them.” The Quads, as you can imagine, are very close, and Yadira talks about how she can open up to different siblings about different things. “We’re pretty different. We all like different things. We all have different preferences. People think that we are the same, but we aren’t.” The idea of quadruplets is fascinating to most, and because of that, people often group them into the same category, but the Duarte siblings are each their own person. “I want to be known as my own self,” Yadira concluded.

Fernando and Jesus are proud members of the varsity football team, and while they make plays, Yadira and Marianna manage the team. But that’s not the first time the family has shared a sport; the quads used to play baseball and softball together. Yadira continues to play softball, while Marianna is now very involved in various activities on campus. She’s in Health Academy, Link Crew, HOSA Council, and she’s also an Academic Mentor. “After high school, I want to go to a nursing program for sure, at Fullerton hopefully, and become an RN, maybe even a nurse practitioner.”

Marianna is very family-oriented, and it was her own family that piqued her interest in the health field. “My mom’s a nurse and my sister is becoming an RN…they’re my role models, so I aspire to be like them.” Marianna also shared her favorite memory with her siblings, a “Quad Meeting” tradition that started when they first moved into their house. “When we first moved into our house that we have now, we didn’t have any furniture in there, so we ate dinner in our room, in the closet, and we were just talking.”

Fernando added, “Sometimes we’ll just call a quad meeting or send a text, and we’ll just hang out in someone’s room.” All four share the same birthday, August 14th, and Fernando mentioned that every year, as their birthday approaches, they somehow end up matching outfits by coincidence. Outside the football field, Fernando and Jesus share an interest in carpentry. Jesus is currently taking a class, while Fernando plans to pursue carpentry after high school. As their senior year comes to an end, Fernando reflects, “It’s definitely gonna suck after because we’re not gonna all be in the same place all the time, but it’ll be fun. I’m prepared.”

Jesus also reflected on senior year: “Sometimes it can be stressful because it’s a lot. It’s very demanding, but having my siblings here makes it not so bad.” Along with football, Jesus also plays baseball and, surprisingly, enjoys art class. “It’s interesting, relaxing,” he said.

There’s so much more to the Duarte siblings than simply being quadruplets. Yadira is a strong, confident young woman with many admirable qualities. Marianna is incredibly kind, never failing to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Fernando is funny and always great to be around. Jesus is quiet but determined. They’re all very different, yet they share the same love and support for one another, a bond that’s sure to last long after high school.