Jaelyn Liu: Aeon Student-Athlete Spotlight
We recently sat down with Jaelyn Liu, an Aeon student-athlete, Class of 2027, elite foil fencer, and one of the top young athletes in international fencing.
The conversation was led by Colton Peters, Aeon’s Director of Sports Partnerships, as part of Aeon’s student-athlete spotlight series.
Jaelyn currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been fencing for nearly 10 years. Her story is a clear example of what Aeon makes possible for driven student-athletes: the ability to train, travel, compete, learn, and grow without having to choose between academics and athletics.
A Life Built Around Fencing, Travel, and Growth
Jaelyn’s day-to-day life looks very different from a traditional student.
When she is not traveling, her mornings usually begin around 9:00 AM. She heads to her fencing club around 10:00 AM for a lesson, and some days include physical training afterward. From there, she returns home to study, complete schoolwork, read, walk her cats, and continue learning how to drive.
In the evening, she goes back to the club for group class, where she gets to fence other athletes.
“I wake up around nine. I go to the club in the morning, around 10 to take a lesson, and sometimes I have physical training afterwards. Afterwards, I come back and I study, I do my schoolwork.”
Her schedule is demanding, but it reflects the discipline required of a high-level student-athlete.
In addition to her training schedule, Jaelyn travels constantly for fencing. During the main stretch of her season, she travels almost every week from September through February, with additional competitions and training opportunities continuing through the spring.
“I travel almost every week from September until February.”
This is the reality of pursuing elite international fencing. The question becomes: how do you build an academic experience that supports that level of commitment without forcing a student to compromise?
Finding the Right Academic Environment
For Jaelyn, Aeon became the right fit because her traditional school environment could not support the demands of her fencing schedule.
Before joining Aeon, Jaelyn attended school in Boston after previously attending private school in Texas. Once she was in Boston, she quickly realized how difficult it would be to balance high-level international competition with strict attendance requirements.
Her season required extensive travel, especially from September through February or March. But her school was not able to accommodate that level of absence.
“They told me I had to unenroll for maybe half a semester because they just wouldn’t allow me to take any classes during that period of time.”
That was the turning point.
Jaelyn knew she could not afford to miss school entirely. She also knew that if she stayed in a system that could not support her travel schedule, her credits and academic progress could be at risk.
“I definitely thought, okay, I can’t do this. I can’t just miss school. My credits are going to be all ruined.”
That is when she decided to join Aeon.
“And it’s definitely accommodated me.”
A Model That Supports Both Rigor and Flexibility
One of the most important takeaways from Jaelyn’s story is that Aeon does not ask student-athletes to choose between serious academics and serious sport.
Jaelyn is able to travel internationally, compete across multiple levels of fencing, train in different environments, and still stay on track academically.
That balance matters deeply for athletes who are trying to compete at the highest level.
“Aeon has given me this opportunity to do this because I don’t think that if I’d gone to an in-person school, I would be able to travel this much.”
That is one of Aeon’s biggest advantages.
It gives elite athletes the room to pursue their sport fully while still maintaining a rigorous, meaningful academic experience.
For Jaelyn, travel is not just about competing. It is also about development. Training in different places gives her more exposure to different fencing styles, different countries, and different ways of competing.
“It’s given me more transparency and more exposure to a lot more different types of fencing.”
Aeon gives Jaelyn the flexibility to pursue those opportunities without the constant fear that school will fall apart.
Learning That Goes Beyond Memorization
Jaelyn was clear that Aeon has challenged her academically.
While Aeon gives her flexibility, it also requires independence, self-discipline, research, writing, and ownership over her learning.
“The workload is there. I have a pretty decent amount that I must finish every week.”
She compared the amount of writing, research, and project work at Aeon to what she experienced in traditional in-person schools.
“I think the projects and the amount of writing and researching that I have to do is on par with other high schools.”
That academic shift has been significant.
Aeon has helped Jaelyn develop the ability to study independently, work through difficult concepts, and take responsibility for completing her projects and assignments.
“I actually think online school gives us the challenge to be able to self-study and actually require yourself to sufficiently research and learn.”
That kind of learning matters.
For a student like Jaelyn, who is driven both academically and athletically, Aeon creates an environment where school feels purposeful and prepares her for the independence she will need in college.
“I think that’s the main thing that colleges will make you do.”
Projects That Build Creativity and Real-World Thinking
One of the biggest parts of Jaelyn’s Aeon experience has been project-based learning.
One of her favorite projects came from her World course, where she performed a scene from Hamlet. She drew on makeup, memorized lines, and acted as Hamlet during a moment of distress and revelation.
“It was definitely hard to memorize, but I think I executed it pretty well.”
Another project she remembered was a STEAM project that explored strategy through a game similar to the prisoner’s dilemma. Students created different strategies, tested them against each other, and studied which approaches were most successful.
“It was basically to show what strategies would win.”
What stood out most was not just the project itself, but the way Aeon encourages students to think.
Jaelyn is not just completing assignments. She is creating, performing, analyzing, testing strategies, and learning how to apply ideas in meaningful ways.
That kind of learning connects naturally to the way she thinks as an athlete. In fencing, she has to analyze opponents, make decisions quickly, adjust strategy, and trust her preparation.
Aeon’s project-based model gives her opportunities to build those same skills academically.
A Community That Feels Personal
One of the biggest misconceptions about online education is that students are sitting alone, completing modules without connection, support, or community.
Jaelyn’s experience at Aeon has been different.
She acknowledged that online school requires independence, but she also shared that Aeon’s teachers and support system have helped her stay connected and supported.
“I actually am able to call in every now and then, and they’re able to check in. My teachers are able to check in with me.”
A major part of that support has come from her personal dean, Miss Police
Jaelyn spoke about how Miss Police has helped her navigate not only schoolwork, but also the college process, teacher recommendations, common stress, and the pressure of balancing everything at once.
“My dean, Miss Police, she’s been so supportive.”
For Jaelyn, that support has mattered.
She shared that she was feeling stressed and overwhelmed by essays, applications, and everything she needed to complete. Her dean helped her slow down and trust the process.
“She told me to calm down and just follow the program, it was built for people like me.”
That kind of relationship is what makes Aeon different.
The support is not just academic. It is personal. It helps students navigate the ups and downs of school, sport, travel, and life.
Growing Through Discipline and Time Management
Being an elite international fencer and a strong student requires discipline.
Jaelyn understands that.
She knows that online school gives student-athletes freedom, but that freedom has to be paired with responsibility. At Aeon, she has had to learn how to manage her work, research independently, complete projects, and stay organized while traveling constantly.
“I actually have to attempt the questions myself.”
That kind of challenge has helped her grow.
“I actually think that is definitely challenging myself and my own ability to work this way.”
That is one of the most important outcomes of the Aeon model.
It does not just help students complete school. It helps them become more independent, organized, mature, and prepared for the future.
For Jaelyn, those skills matter because she is preparing for college, elite fencing, and life beyond high school.
Building Toward the Future
Jaelyn has big goals.
In fencing, she is working toward competing at the highest level of the sport. Her childhood dream was to become an Olympic champion, and with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics ahead, she wants to give herself a real chance.
“In the coming years, I definitely want to try for the Olympics. Of course, my dream when I was a child was to become Olympic champion.”
At the same time, Jaelyn remains focused academically.
She has already verbally committed to a college, though she cannot publicly share where yet. Academically, she is interested in studying business or economics.
“As for college, I’m hoping to study probably business or econ.”
Jaelyn wants to continue balancing fencing, academics, and her life outside of sport.
“I think there needs to be a good balance.”
That combination is what makes Jaelyn’s path so exciting.
She is not choosing between being a great fencer and being a strong student. She is learning how to become both.
And Aeon is helping make that possible.
A Fencer Focused on the Details
Jaelyn has already accomplished more than most athletes her age.
She won the Cadet World Championships in Riyadh, captured a Junior World Cup title, and made history by winning the cadet world title, junior world title, and junior team world title.
“That was pretty unbelievable and insane.”
She also won the Hong Kong World Cup at the senior level, which helped her earn a spot on the senior world team.
“I also won the Hong Kong World Cup, and that actually boosted me into the top four for the senior world team.”
At the Senior World Championships, Team USA won gold.
“Our team won gold, which was like the first time in ages.”
This season, Jaelyn continued making history at the Cadet and Junior World Championships in Rio, Brazil, where she won both the cadet and junior titles again.
“No one has ever been Cadet and Junior World Champion back to back.”
Even with all of that success, Jaelyn does not see herself as finished.
“I don’t think I’m peaking yet. This is just the start.”
What stands out is not only her résumé, but her mindset.
After an unbelievable season, Jaelyn felt the pressure that comes with being a rising star. She realized that other athletes were studying her, targeting her, and trying to beat her.
“I realize that I’m being analyzed and that I’m being targeted as a potential opponent.”
But she has learned to focus on her own growth.
“I have been very good with just dismissing it and just focusing on my personal growth and being able to try to be the best version of my own self.”
That level of self-awareness is a sign of a mature athlete.
Jaelyn understands that success is not just about winning. It is about persistence, confidence, maturity, and continuing to grow under pressure.
A Parent’s Perspective
Jaelyn’s family had real questions before making the switch to online school.
Like many families, they were hesitant at first. They wondered whether online school could provide the right structure, support, and academic experience.
But Jaelyn had friends who attended Aeon and recommended it. Aeon’s partnership with USA Fencing also helped introduce her family to a model designed for athletes with demanding travel schedules.
“A lot of my friends who were going to college that year but were basically 12th grade at Aeon, they said they liked it, and they recommended it.”
For families weighing the decision, Jaelyn’s experience shows the heart of Aeon’s model.
Aeon provides flexibility, but it also provides structure.
It provides independence, but also support.
It provides academic challenge, but also the ability for students to build their lives around serious goals.
For Jaelyn, that made all the difference.
The Aeon Model in Action
What stands out most about Jaelyn’s story is the way Aeon allows her to pursue the full version of who she is.
She is an elite foil fencer.
She is an academically driven student.
She is a world champion.
She is preparing for college.
She is building toward the Olympic level.
She is traveling, training, competing, learning, building, and growing.
And because of Aeon, she does not have to give up one part of herself to pursue another.
When Colton asked her to finish the sentence, “Aeon has helped me…” Jaelyn said:
“Aeon has helped me relieve my stress with knowing that I have a lot of tests or projects to keep up with, because I will always be able to accommodate myself and make my own time.”
That is what Aeon is built for.
And for student-athletes like Jaelyn Liu, that makes all the difference.