Steven and Benito Beza were born together, faced adversity together and will graduate together today from Stein High School.

The Bezas, 18-year-old identical twins, will speak at Stein’s graduation ceremony at 11:30 a.m. today at the 650 W. 10th St. campus.

“I never thought I would be here,” Benito said. “I feel a little bit done, but I know I have a lot more to accomplish. It feels like victory.”

The brothers are also teenage

fathers of 1-year-old boys, an experience that they said made them quickly mature. They transferred from Tracy High to Stein after hearing of the support the school gives to teenage parents.

“It made everything 10 times harder,” Steven said. “You’re trying to focus on your homework, and then the baby’s crying and you stop. There were a lot of late nights, trying to get everything complete.”

The Beza brothers said they were able to rely on each other through the tough times. Benito said they both wanted to keep up on their studies and graduate as a way to better their families’ futures.

They both plan to take classes at San Joaquin Delta College next year and possibly transfer to a university after that. Steven said he plans to become an electrician. Benito said he wasn’t sure what to study yet, but he has thought about taking some business classes.

“It’s a pretty huge step for us, because before, we were both off track,” Steven said. “I know it won’t stop here.”

• Contact Our Town editor Justin Lafferty at 830-4221 or jlafferty@tracypress.com.

Stein High School: Steven & Benito Beza

• Age: 18

• How long in Tracy: 15 years

• Birthplace: Tracy

• GPA: Not available at press time

• Achievement: Student speakers, Stein High School

• College: San Joaquin Delta College