Out of the 1300 kids that go to Air Academy, the Newsome twins are one’s to look out for.   

The Newsome family is devoted to their Celtic heritage. Their heritage starts with their father John who is 89.5% Celtic. Cindy, the mother, is not Irish or Scottish but loves to embrace the traditions and life style. The two parents have a total of three children: Erin, Bridget, and John.

Bridget and John Newsome are sophomore twins at Air Academy High School. The twins are very social; they play sports for the school and manage to have good grades. Along with this, they both are very involved in the traditions and culture of their Celtic heritage.

Bridget is a competitive Irish dancer. Irish dancing is not well known here in Colorado, but Bridget still manages to stand out in the small community of these competitive dancers. She started at a very young age and since then she has mastered the skill of Irish dancing. She stated, “I started Irish dance when I was five. I originally only started it because my sister did it and I wanted to be just like her. Although, I didn’t know I would end up loving Irish dance so much.” Hard work, lots of time, and practice make perfect; Bridget is no stranger to this concept. All of her dedication to dancing has opened many doors for her. She said,“The past 10 years that I have been dancing has allowed me to travel to many places such as Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, and all over the United States.”

John knows that Jack does not like to partake in Irish dancing. In fact, according to Bridget, “Jack hates coming to my competitions.” Instead, he shows his love for the Celtic heritage by playing the bagpipes. Just like his sister, Jack started playing at a very young age and has been showcasing his talent since then.  “I have a very deep Scottish heritage which is why I got interested in playing bagpipes. I have been playing since I was about nine. It was hard to learn at first—it took me three years for me to learn and master—but now I love it.” Not only is he dedicated to the bagpipes, but Jack also loves football. He plays football for Air Academy and watches his favorite college team USC (University of Southern California) with his dad.

Besides the twins, the whole family makes sure everyone knows that they are Celtic. If there is anything Scottish or Irish, the Newsome family loves it. The family’s love for all things Scottish is shown in their dog, which is a  Highland Scottish Terrier. They named the dog after the movie Braveheart, which is Scottish. Along with this, Jack Newsome said, “On St. Patrick’s day, my family goes crazy.” If you see them on St. Patrick’s day, you will see the whole family wearing green, and the dog will be wearing a leprechaun costume.

The Newsome twins Bridget and Jack are a dynamic duo. They are ones to watch out for in the halls at Air Academy or overseas competing in Irish dance or bagpipe.