Identical twins Jeremy and Jermaine Hogstrom ’15 admit to swapping identities many times in their lives, a challenge posed to parents, teachers, and friends. They went to school together, graduated with honors from UTC, and call each other best friends.
One obvious difference is Jermaine is a talented dancer—he and his partner took first place in a Latin dance competition when he was a student at UTC. Jeremy enjoys playing piano, and both brothers play tennis.
Since they graduated from UTC, the twins worked together, both as phlebotomists at Memorial Hospital.
Jeremy was inspired by his mother to get into the medical field. As a home health care physical therapist, Jeremy remembers the visits way out in the country, down dirt driveways. She helped strengthen her patients’ bodies and offered encouragement as they rehabilitated from surgery.
“It all comes down to seeing patients benefit from a better quality of life,” he said.
As a phlebotomist, Jeremy quickly became familiar with the raw environment of a hospital.
“You come across many different situations and many different personalities,” Jeremy explained. “This experience matures you in a way. You have to stay calm, maintain the values of the hospital, and become a team worker in the hospital.”
In the beginning, Jermaine questioned whether the job was really for him, but now it has “become second nature.”
“I appreciate getting over the hump of sticking someone with a needle,” he admitted.
The twins have done so well that they assist in training those new to the field.
Now, Jeremy and Jermaine have taken on a new challenge together. They both began classes in August at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) on Auburn University’s campus.
Jermaine graduated with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. He says UTC prepared him well for his career choice.
“I enjoyed the environment here,” he said, smiling. “I miss UTC! I enjoyed being in Holt Hall and getting to know faculty members and having those relationships. It was a supportive environment and I felt everyone wanted us to do well.”
