Identical twins with near identical paths to Commencement
Wright brothers’ route to uplifting their community ran through TU
By Kyle Hobstetter on December 14, 2022
Growing up, Rasul and Malachi Wright were always told by their family, “to be great now.” It was that simple advice that compelled the identical twin brothers to push themselves and each other.
Rasul is graduating with a degree in history with a concentration in secondary education, while Malachi has earned a degree in biology with a concentration in secondary education.
Both have big dreams: Rasul has been accepted to several prestigious law schools, and Malachi will attend one of the respected dental schools that have accepted him.
With so much to look forward to, they are quick to admit Towson University has presented them a lot of opportunities to succeed.
“[It] was the institution that offered [us] the chance to be in the position where we can exude [the] leadership potential and capabilities we possess,” Rasul says.
“Our time at Towson has been phenomenal,” Malachi adds. “The environment and community that Towson University has cultivated—I can’t think of any other word but phenomenal.”
Both will serve as Commencement speakers—Rasul at the College of Education ceremony, Malachi at the Fisher College of Science & Mathematics ceremony.
Rasul was a Rhodes Scholar finalist, president of the Phi Alpha Theta, Omicron Delta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi fraternities. He was also a recipient of multiple Towson University scholarships, a First-Year Experience leader, a recruiter for the College of Education and a member of TU’s Pre-Law Society.
Learn more about Rasul’s experience as a Rhodes Scholar finalist
Malachi was part of the UTeach program, the Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society and Minorities in Medicine. He served as president of TU’s Pre-Dental Society and Omicron Delta Kappa fraternity. Malachi was also a recipient of multiple TU scholarships, a First-Year Experience leader and a biology and chemistry peer tutor.
It’s hard to believe the Wright brothers almost didn’t make it to Towson University.
Working toward a dream
After graduating from high school, they worked at a BJ’s Wholesale Club near their hometown of College Park, Maryland—Rasul in the tire bay and Malachi in the grocery department.
The twins are the second and third of nine children; Malachi likes to remind his brother that he’s older by 15 minutes.
Their dad was a schoolteacher, and their mom was a stay-at-home parent at the time. Money was scarce, so the only way the two could attend college was through scholarships.
They started their higher education journey at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC). Many of their coworkers at BJ’s would remind them they had all the potential in the world. But it was one coworker in the tire bay who helped them see how lucky they were.
“We always complained we had to be up at 7:30 for an 8 a.m. class,” Rasul says. “One day after again hearing us complain, one of our older coworkers, Donald, pulled us aside. Donald, who was 60, told us he wished he was in our shoes.
“He told us his future was decided, but we could choose what we wanted to do with ours. After that conversation, we knew we had an opportunity few people get.”
Since that time, both have had 4.0 GPAs and earned their associate degrees from PGCC. Through their hard work, the brothers earned enough scholarships to help pay for their education at Towson University.
“Looking back, all the hard work, the dedication and everything that went into working at BJ’s, we took the same fundamentals and applied it to school,” Rasul says. “It’s about having a great work ethic. If you apply that work ethic, you’ll progress and excel in whatever endeavor you want to do.”
Learning to walk
For Malachi, crossing the Commencement stage will have a special meaning because there was a small chance he might not have been able to walk at all.
This past April, Malachi underwent a routine inguinal hernia surgery. But what is usually an hour-and-a-half procedure ended up taking eight hours.
The hernia was tangled with a lot of his major blood vessels, and the removal process aggravated nerves throughout his body. He ended up losing feeling in both arms and his right leg.
“I remember when the physical therapist said, ‘You’re the only one who can dictate how your recovery is going to go,’ Malachi remembers. “I kept that in the back of my mind. I wanted to come back to school and keep my GPA up because I wanted to graduate summa cum laude.”
He credits the TU faculty for helping him reach his goal of graduating on time while learning to walk again.
“My professors were looking out for my well-being, telling me if I wanted to drop my classes, I could pick them up again during the summer,” Malachi says. “But with so much going on, there was no way I could drop those classes. It was a lot of work, but my professors really helped me to get caught up, and I’m truly grateful for that.”
Finding ways to give back
The brothers express their gratitude for their opportunities by paying it forward in their community.
The Wrights are working as full-time teachers at Dundalk Middle School in their last term.
“We knew about the gaps in education for Black males, Black females, minorities and in Baltimore in general,” Malachi says. “We told each other whatever we major in, we want to give back to our community on a daily basis. That’s why we went into education, to help make an impact.”
As ministers at their hometown church, Union Temple Baptist, they have passed out dental kits for those in need, held a food drive to collect Thanksgiving groceries, hosted back-to-school supply drives for teachers and students and have even worked as mechanics in their neighborhood.
“We grew up wanting to influence our community,” Rasul says. “We don’t see it as a daunting task. We see it as a civic duty. Being proud of where we come from, our lineage, our heritage, our communities—we’re proud of it and we want to take care of it.”