Texas Teen Uses Fencing to Earn Scouting's Highest Honor While Inspiring Adults with Disabilities

The path to the top of a fencing podium and the journey to Eagle Scout share more than most people realize. Both demand discipline, strategic thinking and the resilience to push through setbacks. Both require years of dedicated effort. And both ultimately reveal character.

For 14-year-old Dev Sathyan, those two paths converged on Jan. 6 when the Bridgeland High School freshman led a fencing workshop for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at The ARC of Katy—and in doing so, completed his Eagle Scout service project.

Only about 6% of Scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the organization's highest honor. The distinction requires years of participation, demonstrated leadership and the successful execution of a significant community service project. Sathyan, an epee fencer at Alliance Fencing Academy, knew exactly how he wanted to leave his mark.

"I want the project to show that fencing can be adapted for different abilities and be a tool for both physical and emotional growth," Sathyan said.

The ARC of Katy has supported individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1990. When Sathyan visited the facility during earlier scouting activities, he recognized an opportunity to share the sport that had shaped his own development.

Working with Fencing for a Purpose, a nonprofit where he serves as a regional officer, Sathyan designed and led two sessions that introduced approximately 30 participants to fencing fundamentals. The workshops emphasized movement, coordination, focus and confidence-building through structured activities.

Alliance Fencing Academy, one of the nation's largest fencing academies with more than 400 students across facilities in Katy, Houston and The Woodlands, provided all the equipment.

Sathyan didn't work alone. Fellow Alliance fencers Nikhil Khanna, a co-founder of Fencing for a Purpose, and Maximus Dade volunteered alongside Sathyan's younger brother, Dhruv. Together, the young instructors kept sessions fun, structured and welcoming.

By day's end, several participants called it "the best day."

The project represents a growing movement within the fencing community to make the sport accessible to people of all abilities. Fencing for a Purpose, founded in 2023, has previously offered classes for neurodivergent children at Alliance Fencing Academy's Katy location.

For Sathyan, the workshop was more than a service requirement—it was proof of concept. The focus and discipline that fencing develops translated naturally into an inclusive setting, demonstrating that the sport's benefits extend far beyond traditional competitive environments.

The project also caught the attention of local media, with the Katy Times covering Sathyan's initiative.

When young athletes use their platforms to serve others, they embody the best of what sport can offer. Sathyan's project wasn't just about teaching footwork or blade control. It was about showing that fencing belongs to everyone—and that the young people who fence are building character that extends well beyond the strip.

Sathyan, who competes nationally in epee events, will continue his fencing career at Alliance Fencing Academy. But he's already proven that his most important touches may be the ones that never show up on a scoring machine.