Student Success: Connections Academy Student Pursues Olympic Fencing Dreams

October 2, 2025 byPhil Davidson

3 min to read

“Fencer, singer, actor,” said Texas Connections Academy high school senior Simon Lioznyasky, “That’s kind of my bio. It describes me in a nutshell.”

Due to the flexibility of online school, students like Simon are able to pursue their extracurricular activities and lifetime goals without sacrificing their education. Already, Simon is very accomplished, particularly with his first and strongest passion—epee fencing.

“I love fencing, and it's been the biggest part of my life out of everything,” said Simon, who began fencing at just five years old. “[At the time of this interview], I'm ranked first in the U.S. for under-21-year-olds. I'm also ranked first in the world for under-21.”

In addition to fencing, Simon is also very passionate about building a career in the performing arts, specifically singing and acting. He’s performed in two feature films as well as 11 short films and even has albums on Spotify.

“Being in a Broadway musical is a dream of mine,” said Simon. “But I also do pop, opera, and sing in all different genres.... I’d also like to do a Hollywood film, especially Marvel.”

As he works on writing and releasing new music, Simon is also preparing to attend the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he has been recruited to join the fencing team with the hopes of one day getting to fence in the Olympics.

Making Dreams Possible Through Online School

Simon began attending Texas Connections Academy in eighth grade, and the flexibility of the school and teachers have made his lifestyle possible, especially while training and participating in national and international fencing competitions.

“Because it’s a completely online school, my schoolwork is completely on my computer. Whenever I'm home in Houston, I have my computer with me. I'm just in my room, doing my schoolwork, or going to fencing practice in the evening. When I have to fly to a competition, I can usually bring my computer and do school in my hotel room. Whether I'm in Europe, Africa, Asia, or another city in the U.S., if I have my computer, I can always take care of my schoolwork.”

Connecting with Teachers and Classmates

Although Simon devotes a great amount of time to pursuing his passions outside of school, he’s able to connect with teachers and classmates in ways that have benefited him academically and enriched his school experience.

“I feel very connected to my teachers and the school. It’s easy to reach them and talk to them as much as I need to feel confident in my schoolwork. I have a good amount of communication with my teachers and classmates. I think it’s perfect. I'm in group chats with my classmates for certain classes. Also, we always chat one-on-one. Everybody's very supportive, always like, ‘Hey, can we get help with this?’ Or ‘How are you doing with this assignment?’ That's kind of a good social aspect of this school.”

Treating Each Student Like the Individual They Are

Although Connections Academy works to prepare every student for life after high school, no two students are prepared in exactly the same way. Every student in every school is seen as an individual, with differing needs and a different path forward.

Given Simon’s broad range of extracurricular interests and exceptional fencing skills, his educational needs have certainly been unique — and Connections Academy has helped meet them.

“Texas Connections Academy helped me decide academically what I wanted to do, while fencing kind of chose athletically where I was able to go. It's been a great combo. It worked out perfectly, exactly how I would have loved for it to work out. So, I'm very grateful for Texas Connections Academy.”

Simon attended his in-person Texas Connections Academy graduation ceremony at NRG Stadium in Houston, where he sang the National Anthem.

I’m super grateful for the flexibility of this school. Being able to do my schoolwork anywhere and learn at my own pace allows me to go and do fencing and acting anywhere, anytime.

— Simon