Sophomore Kylie Meyer, a member of Illinois State’s gymnastics team, has found the right balance between athletics and academics.

As a state, regional, and national qualifier her junior and senior year of high school, Meyer fit right in with the gymnastics team at Illinois State. Her success continued at the college level and during the 2015 collegiate season, Meyer posted some of her personal best scores on the balance beam and vault.

Even with her busy gymnastics schedule, Meyer chose to combine Honors learning with her athletic pursuits.

“When I received the notification that I was eligible for the Honors Program, I realized it was an opportunity I shouldn’t ignore,” said Meyer, of Chesterfield, Missouri. “I felt it would offer me more individualized attention, some flexibility within my classes to explore specific areas of interest, and many opportunities outside of class both socially and intellectually.”

Meyer, an accounting major, was also awarded the Presidential Scholarship, the most prestigious scholarship available to new freshmen.

Meyer said the Honors Program helped her make friends when she arrived at Illinois State.

“My Communication as Critical Inquiry Honors Section was great because it had a lot of students just like me,” Meyer said. “Everyone was going to try hard. It was a smaller class and, honestly, that’s a class where I made some friends.”

The close-knit community and the flexibility of the Honors Program have helped Meyer handle her busy academic and athletic schedules.

“Overall, I have had a really good experience in Honors,” she said. “You can adapt the program to fit your needs and meet some great people along the way!”