Engaged couple 2 of 3 perfect graduates

Seniors Kim Geiter and Matt Lyle share a lot of things. The engaged couple shares an apartment. They share a major - they're both nearly finished with bachelor of fine arts degrees in theater. They both transferred here from Texarkana College in 1999, where they met. And they've taken almost all of the same classes - together.

And next week, the couple will graduate - both of them with 4.0 grade point averages, making them two of only three students to do so out of this semester's graduating class of 729.

"It's still a little weird," said Geiter, a 24-year-old from Texarkana. "We came here our first semester, and both of us got a 4.0. And we thought, 'Hey, that's kind of cool.' And then the next semester we both got 4.0s. We just thought it was a neat thing."

It was the beginning of a trend, though.

"We just took it semester by semester," Geiter said. "It wasn't even really a goal (to have 4.0s when we graduated). We were just trying to do our best."

Lyle said he didn't consider the possibility of the trend continuing to the end of his undergraduate career until last year, when he was honored for having maintained a 4.0 average throughout his time at SFA.

"Then, I sort of recognized, 'Oh, it's possible,'" said Lyle, a 25-year-old Atlanta, Texas, native who works in the theater department scene shop. But both he and Geiter said it's been a challenge to stay motivated during this last stretch.

"Especially this semester, you have the 'Let's get out of here' bug,'" Lyle said. "But it (the GPA) is sort of a monkey on your back. You can't let up. So that's some pressure. Before that, I didn't even think about it. I just always tried to make A's in every class. But I've kept it on the brain this semester."

Making time for studying doesn't come easily to two theater majors, he said.

"We don't just get to go home after class and do homework and stuff," Lyle explained. "We go to class, home and eat dinner, go to rehearsal, come home about 11 p.m. and THEN do homework. It's pretty difficult."

However, his fiancee said the rigorous schedule suits her.

"I've found that doing theater helps with my time management," said Geiter, who is also a student worker in the Office of Student Publications. "Because you don't have a lot of off time, you don't waste it."

So when they get their precious study time, Geiter and Lyle employ the two-heads-are-better-than-one approach to covering their material.

"That's kind of made it easier," Lyle said. "We've kept each other accountable. And there's also a bit of competition. I don't want to be the one to not make an A in the same class (as Kim). We've helped each other and challenged each other."

Geiter agreed.

"But it's a healthy competition," she said. "I think that's a huge reason we've done so well."

Their accomplishment hasn't gone unnoticed.

"I think the entire department is proud of them," said Dr. Alan Nielsen, associate professor of theater, who both Geiter and Lyle named along with Allen Oster, professor of theater, as one of their favorite professors. "They're both very, very talented ... and very conscientious students. I think their 4.0 is well-deserved. They obviously worked very, very hard."

Working hard is another trend the couple plans to continue once they receive their diplomas. Geiter and Lyle are headed for Dallas. Geiter has a PR and marketing job waiting at the Dallas Children's Theater, where both her and Lyle completed an internship this summer. Lyle plans to substitute teach and act and direct in community theaters.

Both Geiter and Lyle, who have been engaged for two years and will marry in April, plan to pursue a graduate degree eventually. But, for now, they're just going to enjoy their accomplishment.

"It's a weird feeling - a little embarrassing, too ... but it's pretty cool," Geiter said, smiling. "I'm excited about it. It feels good just to be successful."