--- ---  # As the Workplace Reinvents Itself, a New Kind of School Is Rising to Meet It.  Image credit: ICL Academy Image credit: ICL Academy At 8:00 a.m., one student is preparing for a professional tennis tournament. Another is walking the fairways of one of the country’s most prestigious junior golf events. A third is in the recording studio, laying down tracks while meeting coursework deadlines. For generations, these students would have faced an impossible choice: pursue their passion at the highest level or relegate their dreams to a handful of extracurricular hours per week, fenced in by a traditional education schedule. Today, some young aspiring champions are exploring ways to pursue their passions without stepping away from their education. And in the process, they are exploring alternative approaches to education. Across the country—and increasingly around the world—a new generation of students is building schedules that look dramatically different from those of their peers. Their classrooms may be airport terminals, training facilities, tournament venues, performance studios, ski slopes, or equestrian arenas. Yet they are still taking rigorous academic courses, preparing for college, and building futures beyond their passions. One school participating in this trend is [ICL Academy](http://iclacademy.com/), an online school and education platform serving students in grades 5–12 whose lives don’t fit inside a traditional school schedule. The school’s student body includes elite athletes, performers, creators, entrepreneurs, and students pursuing ambitious goals that demand flexibility, discipline, and a different approach to learning.  Image credit: ICL Academy **A Different Kind of Student** Few students embody the intersection of excellence, ambition, and perseverance more completely than [Iva Jovic](https://www.iclacademy.org/tennis), who recently graduated from ICL Academy. Jovic has become a promising young player in American tennis, gaining experience against high-level competition while traveling internationally for much of the year. At the same time, she maintained a straight-A academic record while completing Advanced Placement coursework, proving that athletic achievement and academic excellence are not mutually exclusive. Looking ahead, she hopes to matriculate to an Ivy League university while continuing to compete professionally, followed by pursuing a law degree. For Jovic, the most important aspect of her ICL experience was not simply flexibility — but alignment. At ICL Academy, her academic work and athletic commitments progressed in parallel, within the same structure, rather than in opposition. "My teachers understand the demands of my schedule and genuinely feel like they are part of my team," she says. "The coursework connects to what I'm experiencing in the world of sports, so everything feels relevant and aligned with my goals. I've never felt like I had to choose between pursuing my dreams in tennis and challenging myself academically." That sense of shared purpose extended across the ICL community. Fellow students followed one another's progress, exchanged experiences, and supported each other through the particular pressures of busy schedules — a dynamic Jovic describes as inseparable from the academic flexibility itself. Among her peers were [Aphrodite Deng and Ronin Banerjee](https://www.iclacademy.org/golf), junior golfers competing on national stages while also preparing for college and the next steps in their careers. For Deng, ICL’s flexibility became an important part of how he approached growth. "ICL changed everything for me," she says. "It gave me the time, flexibility, and support I needed to fully commit to my goals in golf while continuing to challenge myself academically. I don't think I would be where I am today without it." Banerjee echoes that sentiment. "ICL allowed me to maximize every opportunity," he says. "I was able to travel, compete, train, and still stay focused on academics." Their stories are reflected across a community that includes tennis standouts Michael Antonius and Jack Kennedy, elite equestrians, nationally ranked golfers, soccer players competing internationally, and students pursuing careers in music, content creation, and entrepreneurship. What these students share is a similar challenge: finding a way to pursue ambitious goals while navigating the structure of a traditional school calendar. ICL Academy, founded in 2016 by Kirk Spahn, who previously founded Dwight Global Online School, was built around the idea that students should not have to choose between serious academics and high-level pursuits outside the classroom. "After spending decades being part of an elite and costly education system, my true purpose and mission has changed," says Spahn. "ICL comes in at a significantly lower cost than many elite private schools, while tailoring education around students' individual passions and goals." **Education That Follows the Student, Not the Clock** The traditional school day was designed for a different era — one in which sitting in rows from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. was the institutionalized learning model. ICL’s model inverts that assumption entirely. Students complete rigorous academic coursework through a combination of live weekly seminars and self-directed study, structured in a way that mirrors the demands of university life rather than the constraints of a legacy institution. School officials point to student outcomes as evidence of the model’s effectiveness. But perhaps more telling than where they go is how prepared they are once they arrive. “Personalized academic experiences begin with knowing and honoring each individual student’s unique background, strengths, goals, and identity,” says Avery McGlenn, ICL’s Head of School, who brings nearly two decades of experience in independent boarding, charter, and virtual school environments. “We create personalized paths for reaching those goals, and we walk those paths with compassion and empathy alongside our students and families.”  Image credit: ICL Academy **The Passion-Based Difference** One way ICL differs from conventional schooling is its emphasis on connecting learning to students’ interests, goals, and real-world pursuits. At ICL, this isn’t a tagline — it’s an architectural principle. Athletes integrate coursework with performance science and leadership. Creators study media, storytelling, and digital strategy. Entrepreneurs engage with applied business, innovation, and product development. This is where Joseph Itaya, ICL’s Head of Creative Arts, sees the model’s most profound promise. “The students who come to ICL aren’t asking for an easier path,” Itaya says. “They’re asking for a relevant path — a place where their ambitions aren’t treated as inconveniences, but as the very engine of their education. When a young musician or filmmaker is encouraged to connect their coursework to their craft, you don’t have to chase engagement. It’s already there.” Recent ICL graduate [Johnathon Heilbroun](https://youtu.be/ABwGRifis0w?si=jK34NLcLu0OoF5-I) is an aspiring country music recording artist, and he credits ICL with giving him the space to develop his artistry without putting his academic future on hold. "ICL let me be a musician and a student at the same time — not one at the expense of the other," he says. "I didn't have to shrink my recording or performance schedule to fit around schoolwork." **The Mentors Who Make It Real** One of ICL’s most distinctive features is the caliber of its [mentor network](https://www.iclacademy.org/championmentors) and the depth of its engagement with them. One such mentor is Kerri Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most accomplished beach volleyball players in history. ICL’s mentors share their experiences through live ChampionCast seminars, where students can engage with them directly, and through thoughtfully embedded contributions throughout the curriculum. Their stories and perspectives are intended to help students see how academic concepts translate into meaningful careers, leadership, and impact beyond the classroom. “What ICL Academy gives you is a different kind of choice. I look at the traditional school model, and it's less appealing these days, especially knowing how dynamic these young athletes wanna be. ICL Academy is just gonna become the number one choice for these athletes who want it all. It gives you flexibility, gives you freedom. You can train like a professional athlete when you're in high school and get a world-class education all at the same time,” says Walsh Jennings. For students who have been told to fit their dreams around school, ICL’s Champion testimonials reinforce the idea that they can pursue their goals while continuing their education. **Scaling Without Sacrificing** The operational challenge of delivering this level of personalization at scale falls to Chief Operating Officer Dayton Hansen, a former collegiate athlete and coach who has spent more than two decades in online education. His philosophy, shaped as much by sport as by schooling, is direct: meet students where they are, provide structure and support, and help them develop character alongside competence. “When students are supported academically and encouraged to pursue their passions outside the classroom, whether in sports, the arts, or entrepreneurship, they may feel more engaged in their studies and better prepared for future opportunities,” Hansen says. Under his leadership, ICL has built the infrastructure to serve students across dozens of countries without losing the intimacy that makes the model work. The staff reflects that dual mandate. Drawn from leading global edtech organizations, top universities, and high-performing academic institutions, the ICL team combines deep pedagogical expertise with modern operational and platform experience. The result is an institution that can move at the pace of its students’ ambitions without losing sight of its mission. **A Model for the World Students Will Actually Inherit** Questions about socialization often follow online education, but ICL reframes the issue around connection rather than proximity. United by shared ambitions across athletics, the arts, and entrepreneurship, students can form friendships rooted in common purpose. The school also says families may redirect time once lost to commuting toward training, family, and daily life. ICL’s model reflects an increasingly global, hybrid, and results-oriented world, emphasizing self-direction, virtual collaboration, time management, and accountability. For students balancing textbooks with Olympic dreams, creative pursuits, or entrepreneurial goals, the approach offers a way to move both ambitions forward. **Why Families Choose ICL Academy** ICL Academy’s approach centers on helping students pursue their passions while maintaining strong academic standards. Rather than requiring students to fit into a traditional educational model, the school aims to build learning experiences around each student’s goals, whether in athletics, creative arts, entrepreneurship, or other pursuits. **An Education Designed Around Student Goals** Academics are structured to complement students’ ambitions rather than compete with them. For students balancing demanding training schedules, performances, competitions, or business ventures, coursework and assessments can be arranged around those commitments, allowing them to continue pursuing their interests while progressing academically. **A Global Learning Community** According to ICL, its student body includes learners from more than 50 countries, creating an international environment where learners can connect with peers who share a commitment to developing their talents. The school says this diverse community encourages collaboration, motivation, and cross-cultural learning. **Developing Skills for Life** In addition to academic coursework, ICL offers programs focused on leadership, character development, personal finance, performance psychology, and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) education. These experiences are designed to help students develop practical skills for university, their careers, and life beyond the classroom. **Personalized Learning and Individual Support** Small class sizes, one-on-one office hours, and close interaction with faculty can allow for a more individualized educational experience. This approach helps enable teachers to adapt instruction to students’ learning styles, strengths, and objectives. **Expanding Access Through Scholarships** ICL offers scholarship opportunities based on both merit and financial need. According to the school, these programs are intended to help talented and motivated students access its educational offerings regardless of financial circumstances. **Preparing Students for What's Next** Beyond the curriculum, students develop portfolios through Impact Projects, guest speakers, industry partnerships, and summer programs that bring their interests into the wider world. ICL Academy is built on the idea that academic rigor and ambitious pursuits can strengthen one another. Through flexible coursework, individualized support, experienced faculty, and accomplished mentors, the school helps students prepare for university and life beyond it without asking them to place their aspirations on hold. 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