Trio of Ammon siblings — 18, 20, 22 — graduate Idaho State University together

AMMON — More than 2,000 names were announced in two separate commencement ceremonies at Idaho State University on Saturday, May 4. Three of those names were Madeline, Emma and Konner Cutts — siblings from Ammon.

Konner, 22, received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering while Emma, 20, received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and marketing. Madeline, the youngest sibling, completed a dual-credit program at Ammon’s Hillcrest High School and received an associate’s degree from ISU at commencement.

ISU divided the spring graduates into two groups, separated by departments. Luckily for their family, the Cutts siblings were all included in the same program. Parents Jenilane and Erick were able to take in the achievement all at once, they said.

“It was really fun to see them all together — kind of surreal,” Jenilane told EastIdahoNews.com.

Asked when they realized it was possible they would be able to graduate together, all three responded quickly that it became a thought earlier this year. Erick echoed that thought, before joking:

“Once we realized though, we told Madeline, ‘You have to walk’ — Emma didn’t walk when she got her associate.”

Erick also took credit for his oldest graduating at the same time as his younger sisters, saying at Erick’s encouragement Konner began college taking classes to become a surveyor before switching majors to something more to his liking.

While Emma graduated high school with an associate’s degree — like her sister — Konner finished just one credit shy of doing the same. All three, Jenilane explained, have always made education a high priority.

And none have completed their education journey.

Konner and Emma, each named Magna Cum Laude Saturday, will attend ISU in pursuit of master’s degrees in their fields. Madeline, who is Summa Cum Laude of her graduating class at Hillcrest, will become a full-time Bengal in the fall entering the school’s pre-med program.

Madeline said her dream is to go into anesthesiology.

“We’ll see how that goes,” she said with a laugh. “We’ll see how hard it is because some of the organic chemistry classes, I know, are pretty tough.”

The youngest Cutts had more going on Saturday than her older siblings — with even more to come.

As she explained, Saturday was also her Senior Prom. So, she went to Pocatello for the morning commencement before returning to Ammon to get ready for prom. She then went back to Pocatello for dinner, then back to Ammon for the dance.

With a laugh, she said that she and her date, who was present for the ISU graduation, lasted through the night but were totally beat at the end of the night.

The 18-year-old also has her high school graduation on May 31.

Konner, who is currently interning at INL, said he plans on pursuing a career there, while Emma plans on working in accounting and auditing in the private sector.