Illinois State University made Abbey Harris an offer she couldn’t refuse. 

The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student at E.L. Crossley paid an official visit in the fall to the campus located in Normal, Ill., and immediately felt at home.

“I got to tour some of the campus and I honestly just fell in love with the coaches,” Harris said. “I got to work with them two days straight so I fell in love with the coaches, the athletes. I really enjoyed the athletic facilities, the proximity of the facilities to other buildings.”

Not long after the visit, the NCAA Division 1 school called with an offer of a full-ride scholarship to study elementary education along with a spot on the gymnastics team.

“I honestly was so shocked. I was shaking a little bit,” Harris recalled. “I was home alone at the time and I think I said thank you like 20 times and then after I definitely got a little teary-eyed and called my parents right away and they were screaming on the phone.”

Even so, the school told Harris to take her time and make sure the offer was right for her.

“We talked about it for a couple of days and then I called them back and accepted,” Harris said.

Harris’ love for gymnastics began at a young age when mom, Sarah Harris, would take her to a parent-and-tot program before she even turned two.

Click here to read the full article on BP Sports Niagara.