Twins Kassidee, left, and Kennadee Gabby of Marion will earn their respective bachelor’s degrees in SIU Carbondale’s School of Art and Design program May 9. (Photo by Russell Bailey)
May 04, 2026
SIU Carbondale twins are designing their futures through art
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduating seniors Kassidee and Kennadee Gabby didn’t need to go too far to find their niche and success in college.
The 22-year-old twins from Marion, Illinois, drew upon their interest in art since childhood to capitalize on their individual creativity and to flourish in School of Art and Design programs. Kassidee and Kennadee, who are first-generation college students, will earn bachelor’s degrees in communication design and art and design education, respectively, during the College of Arts and Media commencement exercises on Saturday, May 9.
Kennadee Gabby, who is the oldest by 10 minutes, said growing up in the region and knowing the “many scholarship opportunities” available made SIU appealing.
“It’s amazing that we are graduating together,” Kennadee said. “Being first-generation students makes this a huge accomplishment, and I couldn’t be happier that I’m doing it with my sister.”
Kassidee agreed. The pair commuted to campus, sharing a car and even a similar schedule in their first semesters of foundational classes.
“I was so glad I was able to do college alongside my sister,” Kassidee said. “Through all the tough spots, she helped me through and we succeeded. We helped each other by remembering due dates and getting to classes on time — we were partners in it together.”
Naturally, the twins made lifelong friendships with fellow Salukis, but they always had each other “to talk through our ideas and share thoughts,” Kassidee said. “Especially when doing drawing and painting work, having Kennadee’s eyes on (my work) for things I might have missed was so helpful.”
Art is a part of life
Both Kennadee’s and Kassidee’s interest in art began early, starting with arts and crafts in elementary school and continuing through junior high and high school, where they took classes dedicated to art.
Kennadee won state and national art competitions and credits her high school art teacher with encouraging her to become an art teacher. Kassidee pursued digital art and acrylic paintings, earning commissions while still in high school.
A pivotal moment for Kassidee was seeing the design display case in SIU’s Pulliam Hall. “You could easily see how broad the program in design and how creative it could be,” she said. She finalized her major on communication design based off that display case and the creative options it presented.
“I thought the environment was perfect to really let my creative juices flow while learning the fundamentals for professional work,” said Kassidee, one of three students to share the 2026 Rickert-Ziebold Trust Award, the university’s most prestigious art prize. Kennadee was one of seven finalists.
Successes outside the classroom
In addition to their in-class success, Kennadee and Kassidee are active in the art program’s registered student organization, Art Education Nation, where Kennadee is president. She recently helped complete the fourth annual Chalkalypse-Rockalypse: Chalkapalooza which attracts hundreds of junior high and high school students to campus to create sidewalk art.
Kennadee is an elementary art student teacher at Davie School in Anna and a strong advocate for establishing elementary art programs in the region. She has petitioned the Marion School Board asking they adopt an elementary art program in that district.
Kennadee is now applying for elementary art education programs in local school districts.
“If Kennadee creates a lesson, she creates it with multiple student resources to engage the learner and deepen the concepts. She thinks about student-centered concepts and looks to the interests of her students when creating lessons,” said Jody Paulson, a clinical associate professor and art and design education program coordinator in the School of Art and Design. “She is always pushing herself to learn and grow in her art making and I am certain she will demand the same of her students.”
Robert A. Lopez, associate dean in the College Arts and Media and associate professor in design, said Kassidee, as a student and intern, “proved to be a dedicated, hard-working, creative student who was relentless in her efforts to make her design work better and beyond expectations.”
“She collaborates well with others and because of her work ethic and strong interest in design, she was always able to offer insightful feedback to her classmates,” said Lopez, who recommended Kassidee for an internship design position with Banterra Bank. “SIU Carbondale was lucky to have both her and her twin sister, Kennadee, stay close to home and be part of the School of Art and Design.”
Kassidee said she has been asked to remain as a design specialist with Banterra Bank. That helped her professional career “tremendously, through being able to handle multiple projects at a time with school and work, working alongside a team, knowing a healthy work environment and so much more.”
“I’m grateful that the bank was a beneficial beginning to my career and no matter where I go, I will always appreciate my start there,” Kassidee said, adding that her next goal is curating a new portfolio through the next couple of years, and to begin aiming for a product design position.
Kennadee and Kassidee are the daughters of Wendee and Chad Gabby of Marion.