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It's been said that fencing is one of the most physically and mentally demanding of sports. Fencer Arielle Agius agrees.

"You really have to think and study your opponent," she says. "You have to watch the moves that they make and plan around it and be thinking. At the drop of a dime, you have to make a quick attack."

Agius began fencing only three years ago and quickly became one of the best on the team.

"We always say fencing is like chess on your feet," says coach Karen Roginski. "You have to be a thinker in order to fence. And it shows."

"Obviously, she's very athletic and good and determined in that," says Agius' advanced placement calculus teacher Ken Rubel. "And, at the same time, she's able to do something as academically demanding as calculus and still be successful and still be herself."

The senior juggles three AP courses and is an executive board member of the Arista National Honors Society. She maintains a 97 average, is a lifelong Girl Scout, and takes special interest in her love for science and math.

"I love learning and that's why I love science because it's like, discovering and finding new things," Agius says. "And I just like to put myself in different situations to gain from it."

"We have a lot of talented math students but she stands out because she's so enthusiastic, infectiously enthusiastic, and it really comes across with a real genuine love for learning," says Rubel.

Agius hopes to experience many new things next year at New York University, where she will pursue a career in medicine. A path, she says, driven by her other passion – helping others.

"Giving back to people and seeing them actually, like be happy for that moment, it's the same thing," she says. "Curing someone, letting them realize that they will live, that they will get better."

"They teach each other. This is what makes a good fencer, you know, this is a life skill," says her coach. "Learning something and knowing it for yourself is fine, but sharing it with other people, that's a life skill."

And so, for hitting the mark with her opponents and any challenges that come her way, Arielle Agius is the NY1/Healthplus Scholar Athlete of the Week.

The Health Plus/NY1 Scholar Athlete program celebrates student athletes who successfully combine academics with athletics, and also find time for community service. The program, operated in conjunction with the New York City Department of Education, is open to any senior attending a New York City public high school.

Each week of the school year, a selected student is profiled on NY1 and receives a $2,000 scholarship to the school they choose to attend in the fall.

To apply, download and print out the official Scholar Athlete application, then mail it to the address on the form.