Long-lost siblings reunited in writing class

Long lost sisters who share a love for storytelling have a narrative that they'll both be telling for the rest of their lives.

Lizzie Valverde and Katy Olson found each other by chance when they both signed up for the same writing class, at the same school, with the same professor.

The siblings were born a year apart and given up for adoption. Lizzie grew up in New Jersey and Katy in Florida and Iowa.

The siblings enrolled in Columbia University in 2013 and at the end of a simple introduction activity on the first day of class, they realized they had a lot more in common than creative interests.

Katy explained, "She said she was from New Jersey. She said she had a child."

"And then when she followed up with the rapid fire of more detailed personal questions like, 'Were you given up for adoption in Tampa, Florida, to a woman named Leslie?' I was, like, 'Woah woah woah!'" Lizzie said. "The room kind of froze. And I just said, 'Is this real life?'"

The girls' mother, Leslie Parker, told CBS News she chose to give up her daughters because she couldn't take care of them at the time.

"I wanted to give them the best possible future they could have, and it wouldn't have been with me as sad as it is to give up your own children but I felt that's the best that I could give them is to let them go."

The three came together for the first time on Monday to attend Lizzie's graduation.