Mia Takekawa, a bioengineering M.Eng. student and standout gymnast, has expertly balanced the demands of competitive sports and engineering throughout her time at Illinois. With multiple perfect 10s on the balance beam and a strong support system from both athletics and engineering, Takekawa credits Illinois for shaping her passions and future.
Written by Bethan Owen
Student athlete Mia Takekawa has been a gymnast since childhood and an M.Eng student since 2023, when she graduated with her bioengineering bachelor’s degree from Illinois and decided to continue on in the department.
“I knew I wanted to go into industry, and the M.Eng program could help me navigate that world,” said Takekawa. “The program helped me clarify my career goals, which made a big difference for me this year. That's been really amazing.”
A master’s degree paired with competitive sports makes for a demanding schedule, but it’s something Takekawa has managed for most of her life.
Takekawa at work in BIOE 306.
“As an engineer and a gymnast, those time management skills are kind of innate,” she said. “I've been practicing them for as long as I've been doing gymnastics and balancing school alongside with it. It’s challenging, but something that I knew how to handle. And I’ve had a lot of support from both the College of Engineering, the department of bioengineering, and the athletics department.”
During her gymnastics career at Illinois, she has scored multiple perfect 10s for her balance beam performances, qualified for NCAA nationals, and was ranked 8th in the nation in beam. Even with all these successes, the people have been the most rewarding part of her athletic experience.
“Gymnastics was the biggest part of my life for the last 22 years, and a huge part of me finding my way to Illinois and navigating into engineering.”
“The relationships that I've built on my team are the biggest thing that I'll take away from my time in gymnastics,” said Takekawa.
While reflecting on some of the highlights she experienced as a student, she mentioned her first lab experience in BIOE 202 and her BIOE 306 class with Professor Cvetkovic, where she had the chance to gain hands-on experience in a lab setting that encouraged her to engineer outside the box and to continue her engineering education.
From academics to athletics, Takekawa has used her time at Illinois to hone her passions and shape her future.
“I’m very grateful for the experience I've had here in Illinois, both through athletics and with the department of bioengineering,” Takekawa said. “Everyone that I've encountered has been nothing but supportive. And I've learned so much from both sides. Everything that I'll take away from my experience in the last five years here will help me in my career and my life as a person. I've grown so much and learned a lot. I'm very grateful for everything that I've experienced here.”