Tower Winter 2021

FEATURE ARTICLE 

Dream. Create. Inspire. 

MVA Educational Technology & 

Innovation Center pg. 16 

WINTER 2021

PRESIDENT 

Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring 

2021-22 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Mr. Tim J. Bach 

Mr. Sean Parks 

Mr. Jon Frere 

Mr. T. Scott Ohmstede 

Mrs. S. Renee Lundy ’79 Mrs. Lori Specht ’84 

Mr. Michael Mason ’84 Mrs. Sandra O. Stephens 

Dr. Sydney McPhee Dr. Walter L. Stephens, 

Mr. Gregory L. Nelson Trustee Emeritus, 1999-2020 

EX-OFFICIO 


STAFF 

Ashley Kesselring 

Michele Kanikovsky 

Ginny Holm 

Kimberly Braden 

Editor-in-Chief 

Creative Director 

Creative Editor 

Photographer 

Contributors include faculty, staff, students, and 

parents of Montverde Academy. 

ADDRESS CHANGES AND 

CORRESPONDENCE 

Montverde Academy 

The Tower Magazine 

17235 Seventh Street 

Montverde, FL 34756 

PRINTER 

Cromer International Press 

Above: Victor Valencia, Grade 5 

On the cover: Connor McClain, Grade 12 

The Tower Magazine is published exclusively for the alumni, parents, students, friends, 

faculty and staff of Montverde Academy. It is intended to bring the latest news and 

information about the Academy’s growth and ongoing events. 

Every attempt has been made to present the information and listings in The Tower 

magazine as accurately as possible. We apologize if there are any discrepancies and 

would ask that you forward any amendments to our office. It is our policy to correct 

significant errors of fact in a timely fashion. 

FIND US ON SOCIAL 

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Visit montverde.org 

2 THE TOWER | WINTER 2021

WINTER 2021 | VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 

Welcome to the Winter 2021 edition of 

The Tower Magazine. 

My time at Montverde Academy started 

in the summer of 2018. Fresh out of 

college and excited to pursue a career 

education, not as a teacher, but as 

a staff member, bringing along my 

stills of communications and public 

relations. Since then I have worked in 

several departments around campus 

and have truly immersed myself in the 

Academyʼs culture. 

While my professional time at MVA started in 2018, I have 

experienced the growth of the school for over 20 years. I am 

delighted to bring you a magazine filled with the successes of 

our students, teachers, and alumni while highlighting our fondest 

traditions and plans for the future. 

Montverde Academyʼs growth is only possible because those 

dedicated to its success had a vision. This vision included new 

academic buildings, athletic complexes, and fine arts facilities. With 

the final touches made on the new Middle School, it was time to 

turn our attention to the Educational Technology and Innovation 

Center, set to be housed in the Rast Library. 

The Innovation Center is the muse for this Tower edition with a 

focus on how student decisions are the driving force behind a 

project that is set to take MVA to new heights. It is the catalyst 

for everything that MVA stands for, top academic and collegiate 

preparations through outstanding educators and state-of-the-art 

technology. We are excited to present this project to our community 

and can't wait to have this resource on campus. 

Innovation at MVA is more than just our incredible STEM program, 

but also using new technology to explore content in all subjects. 

This edition will bring you countless stories of innovation in all 

forms at both MVA and around the world. 

With 2022 in our sights, we wish you a happy holiday season and 

New Year. We welcome feedback and encourage you to share your 

thoughts with us at michele.kanikovsky@montverde.org. 

Best wishes, 



Director of Communications 

IN THIS ISSUE 

16 

22 

42 

Dream. Create. Inspire. 

Opportunities in STEM 

Education 

MVA Boys Basketball Makes 

History 

CONTENTS 

Message from the President............................... 4 

Where’s Monty?................................................... 6 

Parents’ Perspective............................................ 8 

Literature in Lower School................................. 10 

Halloween Parade............................................. 12 

Employee Spotlight........................................... 14 

Student Spotlight............................................... 26 

Enrollment Management Travels....................... 32 

Sports Wrap Up................................................. 34 

Cross Country................................................... 36 

College Signing Day.......................................... 38 

MVA in the 2020 Olympics................................. 41 

Fine Arts............................................................ 46 

Visual Arts.......................................................... 50 

News from the Barn........................................... 54 

Alumni Relations............................................... 56 

Class Notes....................................................... 62 

Golf Tournament................................................ 67 

THE TOWER | WINTER 2021 3

TEN 

LESSONS 

LEARNED 

By Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, President 


Television of yesteryear had a variety of shows that were often parabolic in nature 

frequently containing life “lessons” that provided reinforcement for our children and 

families. “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Dennis the Menace,” “My Three 

Sons” are just a few that come to mind that often contained story lines that provided a 

window to learning valuable life lessons. 

Recently, I came across the Apple TV series “Ted Lasso”, 

about an American football coach who is hired by a 

recently divorced woman who acquired her ex-husband’s 

much beloved European football club during the divorce. 

Her intent was to hire an American football coach who 

knew next to nothing about European football (aka soccer) 

to coach the club, AFC Richmond, as an act of revenge 

toward her ex-husband anticipating that the club would fall 

from grace. The coach, Ted Lasso, arrives on the scene 

and what transpires is a series of lessons amid comedy, 

drama, and adversity. 

Coach Lasso and his American assistant, Coach Beard 

navigate an entirely new and different sports culture from 

American football to European soccer which they know 

very little about. The show is comedic, sometimes silly, but 

is laced with frequent tangible learning experiences. 

Here are 10 Lessons from Coach Ted Lasso: 

1 

BE A GOLDFISH 

In the course of our daily lives, we confront 

any number of challenges which may result in 

making mistakes. It is better to have tried and lost than to 

not have tried at all. The memory of a goldfish is said to 

last between five and ten seconds so what better animal 

to embody than a goldfish. The next time you need to 

quickly rebound from a mistake and get back to optimal 

performance, consider a goldfish… forget it and move on. 

2 

BE GENUINE 

Coach Lasso may appear contrary, prone to 

comedic relief and silly analogies that do not 

translate well in the European football culture, but he is 

genuine and true to himself and those around him. 

3 

DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY 

As an American football coach thrust into the 

high stakes arena of European football, Lasso 

consistently takes heat from the press and fans, but he 

avoids taking their brash criticisms personally and instead 

remains consistent and confident in his leadership methods. 


4 

BE TRANSPARENT WITH THOSE 

YOU LEAD 

In a time where there is great mistrust in political 

leadership and a force of social propaganda spawned by 

an ever-increasing digital messaging engine, our society 

has been groomed to doubt the information we receive 

from leaders. It is apparent that Coach Lasso would 

prefer to handle difficult situations with comedic relief. His 

reputation as a really nice guy makes it difficult to confront 

potentially uncomfortable conversations. Despite that, he 

musters the confidence to have the critical conversations 

anyway knowing it will improve himself, others, and the 

culture of the organization. 

5 

DEVELOP AND HOLD YOUR BELIEFS 

Our beliefs are a core part of our humanity. They 

shape our characters and contribute significantly 

to the attitudes that we project. We often take them for 

granted, but give us the inspiration and passion to accept 

something as true and worthy. 

6 

EMPOWER YOURSELF AND OTHERS 

During life’s obstacles, we must learn the art 

of empowering ourselves and others to have 

confidence in their ability to confront and conquer life’s 

challenges. What follows after empowering yourself and 

others, is confidence ‒ the kind of confidence that gives us 

the strength to confront difficult challenges. 

7 

NOBODY IS BIGGER THAN THE TEAM 

Coaching a team of high-level athletes can be 

challenging and no one knows this better than 

coaches at Montverde Academy. Talent alone is not a 

predicator of long-term sustainable success. Whether it 

is academic talent, athletic talent or performing talent, the 

ability to lead people in a way to put their pride and egos 

aside to create a team that works effectively and efficiently 

together is paramount to achieve sustainable success. 

This is why in many professional environments, lead 

coaches are often referred to as managers as their task is 

less on developing talent and more on developing people 

and personalities. 

8 

BE POSITIVE, THINK POSITIVELY 

The research on positive thinking and how 

it impacts people and cultures requires little 

reintroduction. For those who struggle to find the positive 

in life or work may find Coach Lasso’s intense positivity 

and passion questionable but over time, he manages to 

win his detractors over generating a positive effect on the 

team and organization. 

9 

FIND TIME TO LAUGH 

In a world wrought with much to be unhappy 

about and challenges abundant, it is easy to 

get consumed in disappointment. The ability to laugh at 

ourselves and finding levity in complex situations, is good 

for the soul. 

10 

EMBRACE CHANGE 

Most assimilate the onset of change by first 

analyzing loss, and feelings of loss tend to ignite 

negative feelings making our ability to embrace and 

navigate change difficult. Utilizing our ability to empower 

ourselves and others to see the potential positive impacts 

of change can provide transformational and sustainable 

progress within individuals and organizations. 

Ted Lasso is a refreshing divergence from most of modern 

television. It will make you laugh, learn, and reaffirm faith 

in humanity. Because it does contain some adult language 

and content, the series it is not recommended for young 

audiences. 

teamwork 

makes the 

dream 

work 

Campus in the early 1900s 


FLATHEAD LAKE, 

MONTANA 

WHERE'S 

MONTY? 

This summer, Monty, MVAʼs beloved mascot, traveled across the 

country making new friends and learning all about geography, history, 

science, and more. Monty visited Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, 

was an honorary Park Ranger at the Shenandoah National Park in 

Virginia, kayaked Flathead Lake in Montana, gardened in the Carolinas, 

learned about stalactites and stalagmites in the Luray Caverns, hiked 

the Appalachian Trail, floated across the Delaware River, and visited old 

architecture in Upstate New York. 

As you read through the pages of this Tower edition, can you spot Monty? This 

adventurous eagle is excited to introduce you to our outstanding students, alumni, 

parents, and faculty, teach you about MVAʼs STEM program and the new Educational 

Technology and Innovation Center, reveal Halloween costumes and traditions from the 

Lower School, boast about our successful athletes and performers, and unveil plans 

and events for the upcoming semester. 

Follow Monty and see what fun and interesting things you can discover! 

AVALANCHE LAKE, 

MONTANA 

LURAY CAVERNS, 

VIRGINIA 


DELAWARE RIVER, 

NEW JERSEY 

UPSTATE, 

NEW YORK 

MOUNT RUSHMORE, 

SOUTH DAKOTA 

APPALACHIAN TRAIL, 

SHENANDOAH 

NATIONAL PARK 

SHENANDOAH 

NATIONAL PARK, 

VIRGINIA 

CAMPING IN 

SOUTH CAROLINA 

CHIMNEY ROCK 

STATE PARK, 

NORTH CAROLINA 


By Sarah Bobilin, MVA Parent 

Judd and I both moved to Atlanta from different areas of 

the country around the same time. We happened to meet 

within months of moving to Atlanta through mutual friends 

at work. We got married and started our family in Atlanta. 

Judd started his own development firm just a few years 

afterwards and most of his business was in Florida. We 

decided to make the move to Central Florida because a lot 

of my family was in the area. 

Our children are Barrett age 17, twelfth-grade, Stellie age 

14, ninth-grade, PJ age 12, seventh-grade, and Joseph 

age 9, fourth-grade. 

We started at MVA eight years ago when Barrett was in 

fourth-grade, the grade that our youngest is in now! We 

clearly remember driving through the beautiful, lush route 

on 455 to get to the Academy and thinking how amazing it 

would be to actually live around here. My drive in Atlanta 

consisted of 90 minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic. 

When we made the decision to apply to MVA, I remember 

talking to the admissions counselor and this was the first 

experience for me to see that this was a school that really 

did understand children and value their family’s needs. 

Joseph was only 18-months old and was screaming in the 

background when I tried to have my conversation. All the 

admissions counselor said was ‟most of us are parents, 

we understand that this is all part of raising kids.” When 

we went for our tour, Joseph had to go barefoot because 

we had just moved to Central Florida the day before and I 

had not yet found his shoes! Mrs. Beucher, who also has 

four children, helped welcome us that day and she only 

laughed and said not to worry because that had happened 

to her as well. 


There are so many wonderful memories that we have of MVA. 

Our fondest memories at the Academy definitely involve the 

Lower School holiday plays. As Ms. Shackelford says every year, 

there is nothing like watching a children’s holiday play. Seeing 

kids dress up as elves, a Santa, or in reindeer costumes singing 

Christmas carols can put anyone in the holiday spirit! Another 

favorite memory of ours is when we went to Lessons and Carols 

in the MVA auditorium years ago and after the show, there 

was Santa, waiting to surprise the students. We cannot forget 

the memories at MAIT, the Montverde Invitational Basketball 

Tournament. This will always be an all-time favorite experience 

for all four of our kids. How lucky we are to experience 

something like that within our own high school. 

Barrett is part of the varsity weightlifting program and a member 

of the Key Club and NHS. Stellie is part of the cross country 

and track teams. She is a member of Model United Nations, 

the Debate Team, Key Club, and recently appointed Assistant 

Director for Night for the Cure. PJ is a member of the swim team 

and Joseph is trying his hardest to prepare to play lacrosse 

for the Eagles as soon as it’s his time! Stellie, PJ, and Joseph 

have all taken piano lessons with Mrs. Mincy in the Music 

Conservatory since we joined the Academy. 

Montverde Academy has always taught our children the 

importance of character. It is part of the Lower School character 

pledge that they recite each day, even as young as PreK-3. 

They learn that developing character is just as important as 

achieving a high-level in academics, athletics, or fine arts. This 

is an important value that we believe strongly in and are grateful 

the school makes it a priority. Our children were taught to have 

the right tools “in their tool belt” so they will be prepared for the 

challenges they face in school and beyond. 

Judd, Sarah, PJ, Joseph, Stellie, and Barrett Bobilin 

The MVA experience is unlike any we have seen in our 

educational journey. We are proud of the diversity that our school 

maintains. Our children learn about different cultures and new 

customs from their own friends. Montverde Academy teaches inclusion and acceptance of all. Joseph’s fondest memory 

was in PreK-4 and includes his friend that had just moved from China. He did not speak English well and his mom did 

not speak it at all. Joseph learned some Chinese letters and words and they taught each other games from their own 

culture. They still send videos to each other even though his friend is back in China. 

Our children all have unique goals. Our school provides the opportunity for each of them to pursue their own goals. 

Barrett is interested in a variety of subjects and possible professions. He enjoyed computer science, and this year 

has found he has an interest in government. One of his favorite classes has been film and broadcasting class. He 

especially enjoys being able to work with Mr. Troutman, who takes special interest in his students and provides them an 

opportunity to learn in a state-of-the-art broadcasting studio. Stellie is passionate about global studies and would like to 

continue studying foreign language. She eventually hopes to be fluent in several languages and travel abroad. PJ plans 

to be a leader in life. He says he would like to be part of the leadership program that MVA offers and hopes to work 

together with other student leaders in the community. Joe says he can’t wait to be in the same division as his big brother 

again so he’s waiting patiently to be in ninth-grade, when PJ will be in twelfth-grade. He loves math with a passion and 

looks forward to the challenging word problems that the Math in Focus curriculum provides. 

Pictured left to right are Judd, Sarah, PJ, Joseph, Stellie, and Barrett. 


How 

Literature 

Influences 

Learning in the 

Lower School 

By Ashley Kesselring, Director of Communications 

Our Lower School teachers have provided a glimpse into 

their classrooms and what aids their ability to convey 

various concepts and materials to students of varying 

ages. Narrative and the use of literature allow teachers to 

keep their student’s attention and capture their interest. 

Starting in Pre-K4 with Mrs. Camellia Muniz, books provide a structure to the 

class that proves valuable for this group that is new to a formal classroom 

setting. Books like We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Teddy Bear Hospital help 

orient the class for the new school year. 

“Using an overarching theme with a paired book helps students make 

connections throughout every subject area including reading, math, science, 

dramatic play, fine motor skills, etc.,” said Mrs. Muniz. “They are able to transfer 

that knowledge on a specific topic by applying it in meaningful ways.” 

Mrs. Muniz also uses the Clifford stories to teach about friendship and helping 

others. This includes a “Clifford Week” where they read one to two Clifford 

books a day, discuss what makes a good friend, and even celebrate Clifford’s 

birthday at the end of the week with puppy chow. During their Farm to Table 

week, they read non-fiction and fiction texts about the process of farming 

and how food gets to their home. This interactive lesson teaches them about 

vegetables, science, counting, story comprehension, and more. 

In Kindergarten with Mrs. Melody Sinopoli, they start right away with children 

selecting books to keep in their book boxes and are encouraged to build their 

reading stamina. In Kindergarten, that starts with the children looking at the 


pictures and then finding their sight words. Book choice 

helps spark that early interest in reading for children. 

In Lower School Music with Mrs. Gina Mobley, the book 

Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day is an 

important part of the curriculum. They briefly discuss the 

emotions identified in the book and add any other emotions 

the students in the classroom feel. After creating a long list, 

each student is asked to choose only three they identified 

with and use those words to create a rhythm pattern. 

Raj Vieira De Andrade, Grade 5 

Using an overarching theme 

with a paired book helps 

students make connections 

throughout every subject 

area including reading, math, 

science, dramatic play, fine 

motor skills, etcetera. 

Mrs. Muniz, Pre-K4 teacher 

Stella Belmore, Ella Holt and Kinsley Sayer, Grade 5 

“Students create cool-sounding rhythms and clap along 

with those rhythms to a drum track,” said Mrs. Mobley. “The 

students then work in groups to create a different rhythm 

and create body percussion for that rhythm. Small groups 

perform for the other students in the class. Along the way, 

we talk about some emotions as well as beginning music 

concepts of maintaining a steady beat and creating an 

enjoyable rhythm.” 

In the fifth-grade, Mrs. Lauren Dougherty and Mrs. 

Saliesha Meder tie novel studies into history and writing 

lessons with a more advanced chapter book. When they 

start talking about the early colonization of America, they 

read Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone. This historical 

fiction piece connects writing document-based questions 

(DBQ) in history, writing, and reading units. Analyzing and 

studying documents is usually a necessity for the Upper 

School’s Advanced Placement ® United States History class. 

Learning this before students head into Middle School is a 

valuable skill along with their ability to effectively prepare a 

five-paragraph essay based on their key findings. 

Mrs. Dawn Calamis, PK-3 teacher 

“It gives me chills to watch them make connections between 

documents and the story,” said Mrs. Meder. “The imagery 

allows them to make memories of the text and retain the 

information making narrative a vital part of our lessons.” 


Halloween Parade 


The Lower School never skips out on meaningful 

traditions. Innovative technology continues to transform 

classrooms across campus, but Ms. Meristell Shackelford 

and her faculty always rely on tradition to guide fun 

moments in the Lower School. 

The annual Halloween Parade has been a staple of the 

October MVA calendar for nearly 20 years. Since its 

inception, faculty have taken an active role in designing 

and executing custom group costumes as they lead their 

classes through the parade. Over the years, these creative 

costumes have included the Smurfs, an Energy Bus, the 

Grammar Police, a roller coaster, and famous paintings. 

It is easy to see the humor and interests that these 

kids have as they portray fictional characters, inflatable 

animals, superheroes, princesses, transformers, 

astronauts, and more. 

This year’s Halloween Parade marked its 19th annual 

celebration with the students more excited than ever to 

show off their exciting costumes. With parents looking 

on, the Halloween Parade is set to continue to entertain 

enthusiasts for years to come. 

1 2 3 

4 

5 


6 7 8 9 

10 

11 

BOO! 

12 13 

14 

16 

15 

1. Saad Cheema 

2. Charlotte Kovatch, Maia Jimenez 

3. Anna de Fabrique, Harry Anderson 

4. Luca Arnaldo, Conner Bostocky, Arjun 

Shah, Isabella Muniz 

5. Philip Alexakis 

6. Peyton Bruner 

7. Priscilla Quindemil 

8. Zendaya Bledman 

9. Jack Singeltary 

10. Alisa Berndt, Nana Yaw Frempong 

11. Easton Minervini 

12. Sebastian Harris, Nash Kelly 

13. Leva Siudikas, Christian Huynh 

14. Maheeba Minhas, Sahana Penmetsa 

15. Benjamim Pawlikowski 

16. Mason Martin, Daniel Pacheco 


Employee Spotlight: 

Meristell Shackelford 

By Ashley Kesselring, 


Arriving at Montverde 

Academy in the of fall of 

2003 for the opening of the 

Lower School, Ms. Meristell 

Shackelford has been an 

integral member of the 

leadership team since the 

start. Born and raised in the 

small town of Cedartown, 

Georgia, Ms. Shackelford 

earned her undergraduate 

degree from the University 

of Georgia before heading 

to Stetson University for her 

Master’s in Education and 

Educational Leadership. 

Ms. Shackelford with Lower School 

Grade 2 students, Avinash Varma, 

Andrea Santiago-Chabert, and 

Ava Taylor. 


Ms. Shackelford (right), Mrs. Buecher, and Mrs. Wilson-Salkaus dress up 

for the annual Lower School Halloween Parade. 

Alongside Mr. Delmolino, Ms. Shackelford took on the 

challenge of hiring faculty and creating a curriculum 

as Dean of the Lower School and Associate Dean of 

the Lower School, respectively. Starting from scratch 

is one of Ms. Shackelford’s fondest memories at MVA. 

The addition of the Lower School shifted the focus and 

culture of the Academy from a strong boarding school to 

an equally strong boarding and day school. “It was the 

greatest challenge of my career, but it was always a team 

approach,” said Ms. Shackelford. In the early days, before 

the teachers and an all-star curriculum, “we were selling 

what we knew it could be,” said Ms. Shackelford as she 

thought about those initial years. 

The Lower School is currently in its 19th school year, 

having recently graduated their first few Eagle lifers who 

have been at MVA since PreK-3. Her second greatest 

memory at the Academy is watching students who join in 

the Lower School, find success in the Middle School, and 

walk across the stage at graduation after an incredible run 

in the Upper School. “Not many educators get to be part 

of their educational journey and I’m amazingly blessed to 

have that privilege, it's a dream.” 

Being a member of this community is unlike any other 

as Ms. Shackelford recalls how the Academy has been 

with her through all the changes in her life including 

the growth of her own children. “This is my family,” said 

Ms. Shackelford. Children Ross and Marianna are both 

married, and she dotes over grandchildren Lynlee, who is 

three, and Thomas, who was born in July (pictured right). 

Inspired by her mother’s dedication to education and 

making a difference, Ms. Shackelford pursued the 

same career path for herself. Earning a degree from 

Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education in the 1950s, 

Ms. Shackelfordʼs mother was ahead of her time, proving 

Ms. Shackleford and her family. 

what women were capable of. The love of education and 

leadership that was instilled in her at a young age stayed 

with her throughout her time at UGA. Ms. Shackelford 

graduated from UGA’s Women in Leadership secret 

society, Palladia. 

Over time, the role of women in educational leadership 

has grown. Ms. Shackelford embodies this cultural change 

and has the drive to stay relevant, providing children with 

what they need for what is to come. She isn’t the only 

one to experience cultural change. The Academy has 

seen many shifts over the 19 years that the Lower School 

has been part of the school community. Ms. Shackelford 

recalls her experience watching how Lower School 

students that move throughout the Middle and Upper 

Schools mold the culture into one that is centered around 

character, education, and community. 

“From my very first day at Montverde Academy I knew 

I had made the right decision on coming here, and 

a huge part of that was working with Ms. Meristell 

Shackelford,” said Mrs. Jayne Beucher, Associate Dean 

of the Lower School. 

“Ms. Shackelford’s 

dedication to the families, 

children, faculty, and 

staff she serves is truly 

remarkable. She often 

speaks of having a 

‘servant’s heart’ and she 

truly does. It has been 

a great experience and 

wonderful adventure 

working with her these 

past 10 years.” 

Ms. Shackleford and grandchildren, 

Lynlee and Thomas. 


DREAM. 

CREATE. 

INSPIRE. 

By Mary-Kay Rath, Executive Director of 

Arts Alliance 


Makerspace Rendering 

As plans began to take shape for The Educational 

Technology and Innovation Center, I began thinking back 

45 years ago to when I attended elementary/secondary 

school. Every student remained dutifully seated at his/her 

desk prepping for Friday’s spelling tests and Monday’s 

vocabulary quiz, completing multiplication drills or taking 

lecture notes on the Louisiana Purchase. It was not until 

after school or over the weekend when we had a chance to 

explore, collaborate and invent with our View-Master, Etch- 

A-Sketch, Lite Brite and Slinkys – armed with our toys we 

were the Innovation Pioneers of the 1970s and 1980s! 

Fast forward to 2021. Education continues to evolve 

with technology being integrated into academia to better 

explore abstract and unfamiliar concepts. Learning 

expectations involve higher levels of critical thinking, 

research, problem-solving and real-world applications. 

Today’s teacher is tasked not only with imparting 

knowledge, but (s)he encourages curiosity and critical 

thinking both inside and outside of the classroom. 

Throughout the 2020-21 academic year, a committee of 

faculty and students in grades 5-11 met virtually and were 

tasked with providing endless possibilities for a multipurpose 

transdisciplinary learning space that supports 

flexible research to maximize student collaboration, 

promote creativity and innovation, grow knowledge, and 

integrate technology in a connected and seamless way. 

As a class, students can visit the 

Anne Frank House to experience 

the life of a peer hiding from the 

world, but compelled to write 

lines of hope. 

– Robert Burke, History Teacher, 

on the use of Virtual Reality 


Make our DREAM a reality. Fund our space to CREATE. 

INSPIRE others to give. 

Artist’s rendering 

Coming Summer 2022! 

Today’s learners need to be thinkers. The Innovation Center will be a place 

where they can try out ideas and problem-solve. This will help them develop 

the necessary thinking skills so they can be successful in their future 

careers. – Sarah Schlussel, AP Biology Teacher/Science Department Chair 

Research and Collaboration 

• Interact with field experts in Central Florida and across 

the world in several disciplines. 

• Step into the shoes of a forensic scientist and learn 

crime scene analysis by examining blood types, 

reviewing crime scene evidence and collecting and 

analyzing samples in Forensic Science class. 

Makerspace 

• Create 3-D models to study surface area, volume, 

and velocity. 

• Print 3-D molds for Kinesiology, Anatomy, and 

Physiology coursework to understand how joints, 

muscles, and ligaments work together and 

experience through Virtual Reality technology. 

• Design and create original costumes for Fine Arts 

productions. 

Photo Lab 

Master the art of photography using Adobe Suites, 

Drone technology, underwater photography, and light 

painting. 

18 THE TOWER | WINTER 2021 

Virtual Reality 

• Travel to Ancient Greece and Rome, board the 

Mayflower and step into Anne Frank’s home. 

• Rocket to the surface of planets and stars in Outer 

Space, submerge deep in the ocean to study marine 

life and explore the jungles and deserts. 

• Analyze, track, and evaluate movement to increase 

athletic and overall patient performance and reduce 

risk of injury. 

Production Studio 

• Produce and broadcast a film, radio segment or 

podcast with our state-of-the-art equipment. 

Robotics 

• Craft and code a robot to discover motion 

planning, kinematics, acceleration, and serial chain 

mechanisms. 

Electronic Gaming 

• Design games and transform your 

vision into a playable and controllable 

game. To find out more, scan here >

Robotics Lab Rendering 

Major Gift 

Opportunities 

$50,000 + 

Electronic Gaming 

Makerspace 

Robotics Lab 

$25,000 + 

Media Arts 

Photography and Graphic 

Design 

Research and Development 

Center 

Virtual Reality Space 

$10,000 

Acoustic Clouds 

Entry and Research & Collaboration Space Rendering 

montverde.org/support-mva 

By repurposing the Rast Library and Conrad Lehman Building, 

Montverde Academy will be able to provide countless spaces 

to discover and study new theories. Students will be able to 

advance their understanding of concepts while improving 

their technological literacy as they prepare for collegiate-level 

coursework and entrepreneurship will rocket. I am hoping 

one of the students designs the next Rosie (for the younger 

generation, this is a Jetson’s reference!). 

Several students have stepped forward asking to be a part 

of the fundraising initiative, and they will join faculty and staff 

efforts to raise at least $350,000 – one-third of the $1 million 

project cost. There are major gift opportunities, as well as 

opportunities to give at any level to contribute to a specific 

initiative. Every gift – whether it is $50 or $100,000 – makes an 

impact. 

A match of $75,000 was made by Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys 

at the start of October, and I am thrilled to report that as of 

Nov. 1, with your help, we made the Newlin match and are 56 

percent to our DCI fundraising goal of $350,000. 

Make our DREAM a reality. Please help fund our space to 

CREATE. INSPIRE others to give. 


STUDENT 

ADVISORY 

COUNCIL 

for the Educational Technology and Innovation Center 

By Pavlos Tentomas, Senior, Student Advisory Council Leader 

It’s very exciting to see Montverde Academy enter 

a new stage in its mission to achieve a truly holistic 

academic experience. The state-of-the-art Educational 

Technology and Innovation Center will surely prove to 

be an irreplaceable segment of Montverde Academy’s 

campus, with its potential applications spanning farther 

than the world of advanced academia. MVA, as an 

institution, has always found its true edge in the diverse 

people that call it home. With a world now transitioning to 

a heavily interconnected state, Montverde Academy has 

taken yet another step in the right direction by providing 

its community with a new, collaborative outlet to pursue 

material relevant to modern society. I’m very pleased to 

note that the development of this project is now in full 

force, and the entire student body can’t wait for it to 

be completed. 

“The Innovation Center gives the opportunity for students 

to express their passions for E-sports, Robotics, and many 

other subjects in a setting that is a true luxury compared 

to other institutions in America,” said Sebastien Ressler, 

Senior Head Prefect. “This center will help students whose 

passions are overlooked in other environments, while 

being embraced in this one.” 

“The Innovation Center will surely bring a wealth of 

opportunities to those who desire to pursue their creative 

interests,” said Nicholas Bilski, Senior Eagle Ambassador. 

Being a member of the Student Advisory Council for this 

project has made the experience all the more engaging. 

When it comes to crafting campus-wide projects, it is 

usually the faculty and staff who are solely involved 

in the development and decision-making process. 

Unique to Montverde Academy, this integration of the 

student body’s perspective will prove vital in creating an 

Innovation Center properly suited to address the needs 

Pavlos Tentomas 

and hopes of those who will ultimately be affected: the 

students. Moreover, the students involved have been 

tasked with more than simple brainstorming tasks. In 

fact, we have students participating in a wide variety of 

positions, ranging from creative design to equipment 

research. I am most heavily focused on the school-wide 

fundraising initiative. I’ve been working very closely with 

Ms. Kalena Meyers and the Development Team, and, I 

must say, the collaboration we have had has been very 

healthy, positive, and progressive. It is our task to inspire 

Montverde Academy’s community to participate directly 

in the creation of the Innovation Center, and, thereby, 

participate directly in an objective meant to help students 

dream big dreams. 

After all, that is the true purpose of this project. In a time 

where the workforce has become increasingly competitive 

among younger generations, students have oftentimes 

been forced to take textbook approaches to critical 

thinking and problem solving. It seems we as a collective 

have forgotten that the best problem solvers have been 

those capable of thinking creatively, “outside the box.” 

Steve Jobs is the first name that comes to mind. Elon 

Musk a close second. What bring these names to mind 

are their creative, innovative ideas that have so deeply 

impacted the world we know today. Montverde Academy 

has now provided us with an incredible resource right at 

our fingertips, a resource designed to give us a space to 

bring our own ideas to life. A place where we may dream, 

create, and inspire. 

The world is changing quickly. It’s now Montverde 

Academy’s turn to lead the change. 


Lincoln Baptiste Sydney Barker Nathan Barrett Kaitlin Bennett Elise Biniak 

Barrett Bobilin Kamron Brown Matt Capuano John Drawdy Larissa Foxx 

Marco Garcia Gabby Gordon Nicholas Johnson Aaron Kaufman Ethan Kaufman 

Brandon Kristel Krishna Patel Xavier Quinones Shaylan Ramlall Chloe Saranita 

Kurt Schindele Ming Hao Sun Srishti Tandon Dimitri Tentomas Hayden Violette 


OPPORTUNITIES 

IN STEM 

EDUCATION 

By Mrs. Sarah Schlussel, AP Biology Teacher/Science Department Chair 

STEM is an acronym for “science, technology, engineering, and 

mathematics.” Together those four fields share an emphasis on 

innovation, creativity, cooperation, problem-solving, and critical thinking. 

STEM careers are in high demand and are predicted to continue to grow in 

the years to come. STEM careers offer higher beginning salaries and higher 

overall income earning potential than many other fields. Those working in STEM 

careers drive innovation and global competition by generating new ideas and new 

industries. STEM careers have been called the “jobs of tomorrow.” 



The goal of the STEM program at Montverde Academy 

is to prepare students for STEM careers. Directed by Dr. 

Caryn Long, the program seeks to inspire and encourage 

students with an interest in a STEM field to explore 

their interest through interactions with peers and STEM 

professionals, and through independent research projects. 

Students interested in STEM fields can join the STEM 

SAC (study area concentration) program as a ninth, tenth, 

or eleventh-grade student. Once chosen, students follow 

a specialized curriculum pathway through a sequence 

of courses in their field of interest. Upon successful 

completion of the program, students receive a special 

diploma indicating the specialized curricular path they 

have completed. 

The Montverde Academy STEM SAC includes five unique 

branches of study (Engineering, Physical Sciences, 

Sustainability, Computer Science, and Biomedical) 

representing the broad field of STEM. 

The Engineering branch is advised by Mr. Scott Werner. 

Students in the engineering branch take a variety of 

science and math courses as a foundation to their studies. 

The engineering course is a student-centered environment 

in which the students are given opportunities to engineer 

solutions to real-world problems. 

The Physical Sciences branch is advised by Dr. Rachel 

Ramirez and Mr. Stephen Whitfield. Students in the 

physical sciences branch take a variety of chemistry 

and physics classes. We are fortunate to have advisors 

with the expertise in chemistry and physics which allow 

students the opportunity to select courses to fill their junior 

and senior years that allow them to delve deeper into 

these fields. For instance, students can take classes in 

Biochemistry and Polymer Chemistry. 

Sustainability focuses 

on meeting the needs 

of the present without 

compromising the ability 

of future generations to 

continue to meet theirs. 

It’s an important, global, 

interdisciplinary concept that 

is rooted in STEM. 

Mrs. Amy Napoles, Upper School Science Teacher 

The Sustainability branch is advised by Mrs. Amy 

Napoles and Ms. Alissa Svedberg. Students in this 

branch focus on a study of the impact of the environment 

on our lives as well as the impact of human populations 

on the environment. Mrs. Napoles elaborates, 

“Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the 

present without compromising the ability of future 

generations to continue to meet theirs. It’s an important, 

global, interdisciplinary concept that is rooted in STEM. 

Our STEM-Sustainability focus encourages students to 

learn the underlying science, technology, engineering, 

and math that must be used to address global issues 

relating to resource use and degradation, and to work 

towards a more sustainable future.” 

Virtual Reality 

Science Lab 


Mrs. Schlussel works with students in the science lab. 

The Computer Sciences branch is advised by Mr. Matthew 

Parets. With expertise in the computer sciences field, 

Mr. Parets guides his advisees in a curricular path that 

includes a variety of classes that teach students to think 

critically and problem-solve using computers. Mr. Parets 

adds, “Computers are everywhere. If you don’t have one 

in your pocket, odds on there is one sitting in front of you. 

With how deeply interwoven computers are in society 

understanding and learning how to command them is 

nothing short of a superpower. The STEM Tech program is 

nothing short of superpower training.” 

The Biomedical branch is advised by Mrs. Sarah 

Schlussel. In the biomedical program students with an 

interest in medical fields are given an opportunity to 

learn about the medical field in more depth than that 

allowed in regular classes. Students take a sequence of 

classes giving them a strong background in anatomy and 

physiology as well as biochemistry. “My goal is to allow 

the students in the Biomedical program to branch out and 

explore their interest. I take the lead from the students, 

and we go in the direction of their interest. I want them to 

graduate with a clear picture of their career path” said 

Mrs. Schlussel. 

The STEM SAC program allows our students to engage 

with science and technology at a level not offered in their 

classes. All students complete an independent apex 

project which is culminated in the senior year. Future 

goals of the program are to match each student to a 

mentor in their chosen field to assist them with this apex 

project and provide job shadowing opportunities. 

Dr. Caryn Long adds, “The STEM SAC program allows 

students who have similar academic interests to gather 

and fellowship sharing their strengths and eliciting help 

for weak areas from those that support their efforts. The 

greatest strength of the program is in the guidance of 

their advisors who share our students’ passions and place 

them on a path that will provide them a solid foundation for 

their college pursuits.” 

SCIENCE AND 

TECHNOLOGY 

ROCKS! 


STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 


JOHN DRAWDY 

Eighth-grade student Johnny Drawdy competes in competitions as a member of both 

the MVA Robotics Team and the MVA Mathcounts Club. As a member of the Robotics 

Team throughout Middle School, Johnny works with his teammates to create, test, 

and compete with the best robot possible. The Educational Technology and Innovation 

Center coming to campus soon will be a valuable asset for team members like Johnny 

as robotics fields and materials will be a centerpiece of the renovated facility. 

Competitions can take between eight and 10 hours, with the highlight being exposure 

to other team’s designs and ideas and applauding each other for their work. In 

their first competition, Johnny and his MVA teammates earned a first-place win 

in their division. 

“I like the idea of getting to build a robot with Legos ® and then getting to 

program that robot,” said Johnny. “My favorite part of robotics is writing 

and testing the code that makes the robot run.” 

Johnny discovered his interest in robotics when he was in fifth-grade 

and has since pursued that path. His studies aren’t solely focused on 

math and science. Johnny also enjoys history and English but favors 

science due to its engaging qualities. 

“He is an excellent math student, but also participates in the Middle 

School robotics class and is a natural leader in that class as well 

as building innovative projects that stem from both math and 

science,” said Ms. Melissa Benner, Middle School Math Teacher. 

Johnny is an advocate for expanding the program and wants 

other students to feel comfortable joining the team. Robotics is 

complex and intricate work and shouldn’t be limited to a 

single aspect. 

“If someone wanted to join robotics right now, I would tell them that 

there is more to robotics than just building and coding a robot,” 

said Johnny. 

As a dedicated student, Johnny understands the positive impact that 

his instructors have had on his development. “I would like to tell all 

the teachers that have helped me throughout my time in the Middle 

School that I am so thankful for their help and support,” said Johnny. 

When Johnny isn't working hard in the classroom or as a member of his 

various clubs, he enjoys playing soccer and spending time with his pets. 

With his sights on Upper School, Johnny is excited to pursue classes in 

the math and science departments and test his robotics skills on the 

Upper School robotics team. 


LILIANA PARKER 

Liliana Parker is a third-grade 

student at Montverde Academy 

but has a passion for adventure 

well beyond her years. Her love for 

wakeboarding started two years ago in August 

2019, when she took her first lesson at Orlando 

Water Sports. She instantly fell in love with the sensation 

of carving through the water and got the desire to start riding 

in June of 2020. She began taking regular lessons and after her 

first session, she was charging the wake, jumping, and always 

asking to go back to see her coaches. As a result of her progression, 

her parents Zach and Marla were constantly seeking out opportunities 

that allowed Liliana to ride and get on the water. That summer Liliana 

was introduced to wake surfing and there was no turning back. 

“There’s nothing better as a parent than to see your child love something 

and watch them push themselves every day to get better,” said Liliana’s 

parents Zach and Marla Parker. “The joy she has when she’s in the water 

is what it’s all about for us as parents. There’s nothing better than getting 

to spend hours with our daughter on the boat watching her push herself, 

watching her smile with pride when she lands a new trick, or just hanging 

out having conversations. Liliana will always have our support and for now 

we’re just loving the opportunities to bond as a family on the lake while 

watching her evolve as a surfer/wakeboarder and most of all as a person.” 

Liliana entered her first competition in April 2021 and competed in the entire 

Thigh High Wake series both in wakeboarding and wake surfing. She claimed 

second place overall in the series for wakeboarding, as a result of finishing 

second in each of the three series stops. She learned how to put together surf 

runs and went from finishing outside the podium in the first stop by a large margin 

to finishing fourth in the second stop and claiming third in the final stop of the 

season at Lake Ronix. 

When Liliana isnʼt wakeboarding and wake surfing, you can find her on the pitch 

with the SIMA Pre-Academy soccer team, surfing ocean waves, rock climbing, 

and taking to the tennis court with her family. Her goal is to inspire other girls 

to surf or wakeboard. She feels she can inspire others because of her effort, 

commitment, and success. 

“I push myself harder and harder each day because my dream was to 

become a champion and now that I’ve achieved that I am ready to set 

and change my next set of goals,” said Liliana Parker. “My family 

inspires me to try my best and chase my dreams.” 

Liliana has spent time wakeboarding with the six-time 

and current World Champion Meagan Ethell, who 

continues to inspire her as well. 


ALFRED BAAFI 

This Ghanaian football star doesnʼt only shine on the pitch 

for SIMA Gold as an attacking winger but is equally 

confident with a paintbrush in his hand. Alfred, 

commonly referred to by his last name Baafi, 

is a very quiet character by nature. He is softspoken 

but always has a smile. Baafi is a hard 

worker, a humble young man, and always polite 

and respectful to everyone he encounters. As a 

teammate, others can attest, that he always does 

things with honor and pride and sets an example on 

and off the field. 

“Alfred Baafi is a complete joy to work with,” said Mike 

Potempa, SIMA Gold Head Coach and Director. “First 

and foremost, he is a respectful young man always 

willing to help others. He is a uniquely talented person in 

sports and in the arts and as his coach, I encourage him 

to pursue both as his natural abilities are so unique. He is 

such a positive addition to our school community, and we 

are thankful that he is here with us to spread joy to our 

students, coaches, faculty, and staff.” 

For many, the pandemic provided an opportunity to selfreflect 

and turn to creativity. During this period, Coach 

Potempa saw for the first time Baafiʼs artistic ability. When 

he arrived, no one knew that he had this skill. It was only 

when the pandemic hit that his coaches discovered his great 

talent for art and painting. He spent hours painting and would 

send pictures of his work to Coach Potempa. 

“It was at that time that I really encouraged him to continue as 

his work was so impressive and unique. I think that sports and 

the arts allow him to express himself. He is otherwise a quiet 

young man, but his athleticism and artwork speak more than his 

words ever could,” said Coach Potempa. 

Baafi comes from a very talented family. His uncle was one of 

the fastest runners in Kumasi, Ghana, and his sister plays soccer 

for the Ghana National Team. As a good student, he understands 

and believes in his education and has an overall goal to continue 

studying and training to see where it takes him. 

His talents donʼt end here, he is also an excellent dancer and loves 

music. “If you ever get a chance to see him in action, he can maybe 

even give the late Michael Jackson a run for his money!” said Coach 

Potempa. As a student-athlete, Alfred has supreme speed and was a 

multi-sport athlete in Ghana in soccer, volleyball, and track and field. 

“I do believe that art is a big part of his passion in life in addition to 

football, so in my view he has a very bright future ahead that could take 

him in many different successful directions,” said Coach Potempa. 


HEIDI PAULSEN 

GO HEIDI 

AND BIMINI! 

“I want to go fast and jump high!” 

Heidi Paulsen is a fifth-grade student at MVA in Mrs. Dougherty’s class. As 

a member of the Equestrian Program, riding MVA’s Ella Enchanted for two 

years, she has won over 60 ribbons in competition along with a Grand 

Champion and several Reserve Champion titles. Parents John and Kristen 

Paulsen thought it was time for Heidi to move up to her own horse. After 

a few heartbreaks, this summer Heidi found Bimini, a German/Dutch 

Warmblood mare, and these two are a match made in heaven. 

Heidi loves every aspect of riding and being with Bimini. Heidi spends six 

hours at the barn almost every day during the summer. Whether she is 

riding, practicing braiding, cleaning Bimini’s stall, or filling water buckets, 

Heidi loves being at the barn. This passion comes naturally as her dad 

rode Hunter/Jumpers through high school and amazed Heidi with his 

stories and pictures. 

“Having the equestrian program at the school made taking lessons very 

convenient and the entire barn family makes the experience wonderful,” 

said Mrs. Paulsen. “The coaches cultivate an environment that is 

both fun and challenging for all students that is so much more than 

riding. They also teach equine care, barn management, and lead by 

example through hard work. Setting goals and working at them each 

day for the opportunity to show improvement in the next competition 

has been a key element of Heidi’s development.” 

Heidi has improved with each show and gradually moved up in 

class. She is looking forward to taking Bimini to shows this year and 

is especially excited to compete at the World Equestrian Center. Heidi 

rides English, focusing on Hunter/Jumpers and Dressage with the 

opportunity to try cross country. 

“Determination is a spot-on word to describe Heidi,” said Equestrian 

Center Manager and Head Coach Holly Rosenau. “She shows up daily, 

works hard and is not discouraged when things get tough. She has shown 

massive improvement over the last two and half years of riding. I am so 

excited to see what her future looks like as she achieves her goals.” 

Heidi’s goals are to compete in a 1-meter jumper class for the start of Middle 

School. The coaching staff at the barn has helped Heidi set and reach each 

goal she has set for herself. 

“I love being at the barn, riding Bimini, and having fun with coaches and friends," 

said Heidi. “I love setting new goals to achieve and being in competitions.” 

At the end of last year, Heidi earned the Most Improved Rider Award. She works 

hard on the little details to become a better rider tomorrow than she is today. 

“Owning a horse has brought the experience to another level. Seeing our 

ten-year-old advocate for Bimini – speaking directly to the veterinarian and 

farrier – is amazing to watch. Heidi is Bimini’s voice, and she takes great 

pride in that responsibility,” said Mrs. Paulsen. 


JOSEY TINGLY 

Josey Tingly, an MVA sophomore, isnʼt your average 

volleyball player. Securing her spot on the roster is all in a 

day's work for this rodeo enthusiast. At just five years old, 

Josey was learning to ride and cultivating a passion for 

equestrian that was far beyond the mundane. Currently, 

Josey has six horses, all serving a different purpose. Louie 

the barrel horse, Biggin the team roping horse, Chunk 

the cow cutting horse, Gator the pole bending horse, Dan 

the goat tying horse, and Rihanna the breakaway roping 

horse, all find themselves reporting for duty when Josey 

gets to the barn. 

“On a daily basis with school I’m up by 4:00 a.m., I feed 

the horses, rope dummies, practice my roping on foot 

with a fake cow-like structure to keep my fundamentals 

correct and sharp,” said Josey. After school or volleyball, 

if Iʼm in season, I will rope my sleds (fake cow like 

structure drug around by a four-wheeler) or live cattle 

depending on the day and exercise the horses I didn’t 

practice on to keep them in shape. After all that I clean 

stalls and clean up the barn.” 

Competing in countless rodeos has earned Josey 12 

saddles, over 60 belt buckles, a good amount of jackpot 

money, and many other awards and prizes. 

back to Texas for the National Youth Scholarship Cutting, 

before hitting the road again for Texas in the beginning 

of September for the Joe Beaver Labor Day Roping, and 

again in March for the Junior American Rodeo. 

“This life has raised me into being very grounded and 

humble,” said Josey. “Rodeo is probably the most 

humbling sport there is. It doesn’t matter how hard you 

practice if you don’t draw the right calf, steer, or bad 

ground, you could lose it all. You’re riding a 1,000-pound 

animal that has a mind of its own. It’s a very dangerous 

thing, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Josey has found mentors in the sport of rodeo that push 

her to excel. Trevor Brazil is a 25-time World Champion 

and is great at balancing training and his kids apart from 

being a phenomenal roper. 2020 World Champion Jackie 

Crawford also inspires Josey. Jackie won her title while 

pregnant and continues to push through all the hardships 

of life. 

Josey has her sights set on being a professional and 

advancing to the National Finals Rodeo. With breakaway 

roping and team roping toping her list of favorite events, 

Josey is set to make a name for herself in the rodeo world. 

The Summer Run is where Josey and her six horses find 

their stride. They travel all over Florida before heading 

out to Texas for the Junior National Finals Rodeo, Roy 

Coopers Roping, and Ultimate Calf Roping, then to 

Oklahoma for the National Little Britches Finals, the 

International Finals Youth Rodeo, to Nebraska or Wyoming 

for the National High School Finals Rodeo, and then 


FIFTH-GRADE’S CLASS PET 


Hamilton, the four-year-old Bearded Dragon, finds his home among the students in Mrs. 

Saliesha Meder’s fifth-grade class. As the only class pet in the Lower School, Hamilton 

is commonly the talk of the town. Lacking fur and other common allergens, he is a 

healthy alternative to the classic classroom pets of bunnies, guinea pigs, and hamsters. 

Hamiltonʼs diet is filled with veggies and the 

occasional snack worm, making him relatively 

low maintenance. He makes up for that with his 

personality. Hamilton enjoys dips in his pool and 

adventuring during his recess time. 

While his students are learning with Mrs. Meder, 

Hamilton spends time in his 55-gallon tank 

munching on snacks, sleeping, and observing 

his friends. 

“The kids in my class absolutely love Hamilton, 

the bearded dragon!” said Mrs. Meder. “Most of 

the day he sits calmly on his rock, soaking up 

heat from his lamp and watching the fifth-grade 

students go about their daily work. Hamilton’s 

favorite thing to do is climb on the recess bag or 

climb on backpacks when he’s out for his daily 

run. The kids think it’s funny to guess whose 

backpack he climbed on, and they get a kick out 

of watching him munch on his favorite snackworms! 

Spending time with Hamilton is a little 

extra incentive for students who are working on 

achieving certain goals in the classroom. They 

enjoy watching him and learning more about this 

unique pet.” 


ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT 

TRAVELS THE GLOBE VIRTUALLY 

By Dr. David Rath, Dean of Enrollment Management/Associate Head of School 

There are many key components to a Montverde Academy education. The 

school’s mission “is to inspire students to become leaders with a passion 

for knowledge, global vision and innovation while developing character in 

a nurturing and diverse community.” The charge of the Office of Enrollment 

Management is simply to admit mission appropriate students, and we take 

that charge very seriously. We are very proud of our diversity at Montverde 

Academy, and to fulfill our mission of having a diverse student body requires 

creativity, having global connections and having the ability to travel the world to 

find students who will help us achieve our mission. 

Prior to the pandemic, we enrolled students from over 90 countries, which 

allowed us to achieve the ranking of the fourth most diverse school in the United 

States according to Niche.com. During the pandemic, the countries represented 

at Montverde Academy dipped to 70, which is still an amazing number 

considering embassy closures, travel restrictions, economic downturns globally, 

as well as a host of other factors. Post-pandemic has seen the numbers rise 

again, and we have at least 82 countries represented pending a final audit. 

REPRESENTED 

IN MVA'S 

82COUNTRIES 

STUDENT BODY 

OF 

PLANNED TRAVEL 

6+REGIONS 

THIS YEAR 

Pre-COVID, I personally traveled to most major continents with the exception of 

Australia. I visited Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Finland, China, Vietnam, Thailand, 

South Korea, Japan as well as a host of other places. Our office divides the 

globe by territories, and each of us is responsible for certain geographical 

areas. During the pandemic, travel was completely eliminated, so we had to 

work hard via Zoom as well as other on-line platforms to meet families virtually. 

We also have a network of over 150 boarding school consultants, and we 

needed their assistance last year more than ever. 

As the 2021-22 academic year begins, travel is beginning to open. We have one 

Enrollment Management staffer currently visiting Mexico, which has seen a very 

large increase in our student population, so we are trying to capitalize on this 

opportunity. We also have trips planned for the Caribbean, Ukraine, Denmark, 

Sweden, Finland as well as a few other destinations. Unfortunately, travel to 

Asia seems like it will not be possible this academic year, so we will continue 

with virtual meetings in Asian countries and continue to rely on our boarding 

school consultants in China, Thailand, and Vietnam. Meeting virtually is better 

than not meeting families at all, but it still is not as conducive as having face-toface, 

in-person conversations. 

We are fortunate to have such a diverse student body, and we think that this 

diversity makes all of us more enlightened and better educated. When problems 

arise, they must be solved. Although students from around the globe may not 

see things the same way as one another, we all need to respect one another, 

understand the other person’s viewpoints, and work together. This is what 

the real world looks like and having such a diverse community gives every 

Montverde Academy community member the opportunity to experience a worldclass 

education in a very unique environment. 



Montverde, FL 

American Fork High School 

American Fork, UT 

Calvary Christian Academy 

Fort Lauderdale, FL 

JANUARY 27-29 

Dr. Phillips High School 

Orlando, FL 

Justin F. Kimball High School 

Dallas, TX 

Long Island Lutheran High School 

Brookville, NY 


By Cole Kellogg, Sports Information Director 

Sports 

Wrap 

FALL & EARLY WINTER 

Up 

VOLLEYBALL 

It was an incredible year of growth for our girls’ indoor 

volleyball program, with a Regional Quarterfinal finish to 

end the season. The new Director of Volleyball Operations 

Paty Figueiredo brought a newfound mentality of grit and 

determination as our girls ended the regular season with a 

record of 10-9. Before the hard-fought loss at Regionals, 

our girls were riding a perfect six game win record over 

the course of which they lost zero sets. Standouts were 

newcomers Carolina Ribeiro and Luiza Manata, as well as 

team captains Sabrina Oncins and Gianna Carrasco. Thalita 

Marangon and Evy DeClerq also had great seasons, with 

Thalita’s versatility and Evy’s off-season improvement both 

proving vital to the success of the team. 

GOLF 

The golf team had a fantastic season, with the boys’ team 

finishing 9-3 in the regular season. The team also finished 

second at the Knight Invitational at East Ridge. There was 

a lot of solid play from our boys over the course of the year. 

Individual standouts were six-year varsity players captain 

Jacky Zhang with nine low scores, and senior Harrison 

Freeze with four low scores. Sam had some great scores 

as a freshman. Nicholas grew a lot over the course of the 

year as a sixth-grade count in the competition, meaning he 

placed in his team’s top four. Grant had his personal lowest 

scores in competition this year and was excellent overall. 

Sam Kozisek and Quinton Barnhill also contributed notably, 

leading by example both on and off the course this year. 

On the girls’ side, Mia Hornberger led the team with an 

outstanding personal season. Mia won the Buffalo Invitational 

at the Villages, broke her personal record low at our home 

course of Bella Collina multiple times, and placed fifteenth at 

Districts to earn a spot at Regionals. Also placing at Districts 

was newcomer Youyang (Leah) Li, who finished tenth overall 

and really proved herself even though she arrived close to 

the end of the season. Megan Lindberg also deserves credit 

for her consistency and strength of character. 

SWIMMING 

The swim team brought home two District Championship 

trophies this year in a fantastic season, with several 

individual highlights along the way. 

Senior Kierro Stubbs announced his commitment to Rollins 

College where he plans to compete for the next four years. 

He is very excited to swim for the Tars and motivated to 

keep improving in his last high school season. He has swam 

personal records in his two best events this season and will 

be a contender for top-three at the State Competition. 

Emily Santos has had a tremendous season swimming new 

personal records in three meets in a row. She won Districts 

in the 100-meter breaststroke and is now the No. 1 16-yearold 

girl in the nation in her event. 

Regina Torres is in her first ever varsity season and has 

swum many personal best times in multiple events. Regina 

finished first in the 200-meter freestyle and second in the 

100-meter butterfly at Districts. She will be in the fight for a 

top finish at States. Beyond that, her goals are to diversify 

her events in yards and fight for a spot in the Mexican 

National Team. 

The team is loaded with young talent at all ages and in 

multiple event categories. Coach Gui and his team are very 

proud of how they’ve conducted themselves daily, always 

racing hard and having fun. 

CROSS COUNTRY 

It’s been an incredible new start under new Director of Track 

& Field and Cross Country Gerald Phiri and new Head 

Coach Dawn Godwin. The boys team got off to a flying start, 

winning their first meet of the year and three meets overall 

in exemplary fashion. Newcomer Riley Novack took center 

stage with five individual wins. One of these was at the 

inaugural Montverde Academy Cross Country Invitational. 

Michelle Smith also won at our home event, which (in 

addition to praise for the course design from opposing 

coaches) helped make the invitational a resounding success. 


Carolina Ferreira Mariana Garcia Jacky Zhang 

Girls Basketball Team 

Cross Country Team 

Equestrian Team 

Lyla Langley, MS Volleyball 

Boys Soccer 

Boys Varsity Basketball Team 

Girls Soccer 


A fresh start for CROSS COUNTRY, 

TRACK & FIELD 


The new Director of Track and Field and 

Cross Country has been preparing for 

the role his entire life. Coach Phiri was a 

professional track athlete for nine years, 

representing Zambia on the Olympic stage 

on multiple occasions. No sooner had his 

pro career ended, his coaching career had 

taken off. He’s retained the knowledge 

of the sport and training methods from 

various world class coaches and mentors 

over his years as a collegiate and 

professional athlete and is utilizing that in 

order to build Montverde Academy Track 

and Field into one of the best high school 

programs in existence. 

“I’ve had great mentors in my life, some of the best 

coaches in the world,” said Coach Phiri. “And I’ve had 

the pleasure of working with some of the best athletes in 

the world as well. I’ve been mentored by the coaches of 

this previous generation, I’ve been a professional athlete, 

and I think my knowledge and experience between 

generations is crucial. I’m kind of the person that carries 

that knowledge to bridge the generational gap.” 

Since his switch to full-time Director over the summer, 

Coach Phiri has spoken at length with Dr. Kesselring, 

President, and Khrystal Phiri, Director of Athletic 

Operations, in order to set expectations and plan for the 

short-term growth and long-term future of the program. 

One short-term goal he’s managed to already fulfill 

is planning for and hosting the inaugural Montverde 

Academy Cross Country Invitational. 

“It's my understanding that for the last 8-10 years Dr. 

Kesselring has wanted a cross country meet here,” said 

Coach Phiri. “Obviously Lake Minneola hosts a meet and 

runs it on concrete, and yet we have all this greenery 

here at our disposal. I think what has stopped previous 

coaches has been marking out a course that would 

actually work and attract top programs to come here for 

a meet. I spent the summer marking out a course, and 

fortunately I found one that works well for us.” 

“A lot of student-athletes don’t get a chance to see our 

campus and so they’ve never really known about us. This 

will present an opportunity for other teams to see the 

facilities that we have, especially as a private school. We 

have to promote our program/facilities to get athletes to 

come here.” 

The meet was a major success this year, with eight teams 

total and over 120 runners competing. Our difficult course, 

specifically designed by Coach Phiri to be an homage to 


the heart and soul of the sport, earned high praise from runners and families 

alike on a day that challenged all competitors to dig deep and give their all. 

MVA student-athletes won both the girls and boys divisions at the inaugural 

meet, with newcomers Michelle Smith and Riley Novack both putting on a 

show for all of the MVA community that came out to show support. 

Another short-term success Coach Phiri and his team have knocked out of 

the park? Getting our boys cross country team flying in a way they haven’t 

in decades. The team has won four meets already this year, with Novack 

setting and breaking his own school record over the course of three weeks. 

“The Novack family loved the high-caliber education that MVA offers, that’s 

what brought them here in the first place,” said Coach Phiri. “And to have a 

coaching staff that shares their vision is what really resonated and sealed 

the deal. He’s ranked No. 2 in the state right now and Top 30 in the country. 

Hopefully this is the year that he goes on to win the State Championship, I 

think last year he was fourth or fifth in class IA, so to be the favorite in Class 

2A is something that’s very exciting for him.” 

Another fresh face that has come in and made an immediate impact is 

Michelle Smith. Smith’s parents were both world class distance runners, and 

she’s picked up the mantle with her own twist. 

Cross Country Team 

“Michelle hates distance, we’re making her do XC but she’s more of a long 

hurdler. She can run a pretty fast 800, about seven seconds faster than our 

school record. She’s getting better and every single week she’s improved. 

She’s training with the sprinters. For her to be able to come in Top 20 at the 

Katie Kaples meet as a sprinter is pretty incredible.” 

We’re so very proud of what our Cross Country program has accomplished 

this year, both as individuals and collectively as a team, and we are very 

much looking forward to long-term growth under the direction of Coach Phiri. 

Riley Novak and Michelle Smith 

“Overall, my vision for the Track and Field program is similar to what we 

have with the Boys Basketball team, an elite varsity program with a more 

developmental club type feel below that. One thing that Dr. Kesselring asked 

me when he hired me, is that we continue to create opportunities for all 

students at MVA to participate in Track and Field. This year we’ve started to 

do that with our fall conditioning, the more elite varsity group trains during 

ninth period, and the more traditional group comes at 4:00 p.m., so we’re 

already making that distinction a little bit.” 

Montverde Academy Cross Country Invitational 


COLLEGE SIGNING 

Jordana Codio 

University of Texas 

Girls Basketball 

Fernanda Ovalle 

Xavier University 


Fatima Diakhate 

University of Central Florida 


Janiah Barker 

University of Georgia 


Dariq Whitehead 

Duke University 

Varsity Basketball 

Jalen Hood-Schifino 

Indiana University 


Vincent Iwuchukwu 

University of So. California 


Malik Reneau 

University of Florida 


Skyy Clark 

University of Kentucky 


Dillon Mitchell 

University of Texas 


Aaron Williams 

Lenoir-Rhyne University 

Lacrosse 

Jack Green 

Bellarmine University 

Lacrosse 


Congratulations to our student-athletes who announced their college decisions during 

Signing Day on November 10, 2021! Each student-athlete earned a full or partial 

DAYscholarship totaling nearly $4.3 million. 

Edward Roth 

Adelphi University 

Lacrosse 

Kierro Stubbs 

Rollins College 

Swimming 

Salvador Alvarez 

University of Florida 

Baseball 

Yulian Batista 

Stetson University 

Baseball 

Jorge Bello 

Florida International University 

Baseball 

Japhet Rosado 

Stetson University 

Baseball 

Faith Fournier 

Keiser University 

Softball 

Makayla Navarro 

Florida International University 

Softball 

Shawn Smart 

Clemson University 

Soccer 

Jayci Brauman 

Milligan University 

Cross Country 


MVA IN THE 2020 

TOKYO OLYMPICS 

This summer Toyko, Japan hosted the postponed 2020 

Summer Olympics featuring four familiar faces. Emily Santos 

ʼ24, Precious Achiuwa ʼ19, Patricio Garino ʼ12, and Coach 

Jaime Oncins all participated on the Olympic world stage. 

MVA sophomore Emily Santos represented her home 

country of Panama in the 100m breaststroke finishing fifth 

in her heat and 35th overall with a time of 1:12.10. In her 

freshman season at MVA, Emily broke the school record in 

the 50m breaststroke and earned a No.1 ranking for her age 

in the United States. She also took home first place in the 

100m breaststroke at the ISCA International Cup event with 

another MVA record time which was good for a new Panama 

national record. 

Emily Santos ʼ24, Precious Achuiwa ʼ19, Coach Gui Ferreira 

“Itʼs one of my biggest dreams,” said MVA sophomore 

Emily Santos. “Iʼm going to see a lot of swimmers Iʼve been 

with for several years. Iʼm really just excited to see them, 

and experience all of this! Thank you so much MVA for 

supporting me.” 

Alumn Precious Achiuwa ʼ19 was a member of the Nigerian 

Basketball National Team. Nigeria came into the Olympics 

as the top-ranked African team but fell in close games to 

Australia, Italy, and Germany in Group B. Achiuwa came 

to the Academy for his senior year in 2018-19 and led the 

team with an average of 14 points and 7.2 rebounds per 

game. Achiuwa was selected as a McDonaldʼs All-American 

that year before playing for the University of Memphis. He 

has since been drafted into the NBA and plays with the 

Toronto Raptors. 

Alumni Patricio Garino ʼ12 took to the court for the 

Argentine National Basketball Team in Group C facing 

Slovenia, Japan, and Spain. A victory over host nation 

Japan advanced them to the quarterfinals where they fell to 

Australia. Garino spent four years at George Washington 

University, leading them to the 2014 NCAA Tournament and 

the 2016 NIT Championship. He has played professionally 

since 2016, winning Liga ACB with Zalgiris Kaunas in 2020. 

Coach Gui Ferreira, Coach Jaime Oncins, Emily Santos ʼ24 

Director of Montverde Academy Tennis, Jaime Oncins, 

coached the Brazilian duo of Luiza Stefani and Laura 

Pigossi to an Olympic Bronze Medal. This is the first medal 

ever obtained in tennis by Brazil. Oncins enjoyed a storied 

30-year career as a professional, including two ATP Tour 

titles and five ATP doubles titles. He competed in two 

Olympic Games, Barcelona 1992 and Sydney 2000. In 

Barcelona, he earned quarter-finalist status by defeating No. 

2 in the world Michael Chang. 

Coach Gui Ferreira, Patricio Garino ʼ12, Emily Santos ʼ24 



CADE CUNNINGHAM ʼ20 

NO. 1 2021 NBA DRAFT PICK 


SCOTTIE BARNES ʼ20 


Montverde Academy made basketball 

history by breaking the record for most NBA 

draft picks in a single year. Previously, the 

University of Kentucky held the record with 

six selections. Even better, four picks came 

in the first round and from the same 2019-20 

National Championship-winning team. 

To no oneʼs surprise, Cade Cunningham ’20 was the No. 1 overall 

pick, and will take the court with the Detroit Pistons next season. The 

6′8″ guard won the 2020 National Championship while at Montverde 

Academy and led what many regard as the best high school team of 

all time to the national title in 2020. Cade made significant strides in 

the college game with Oklahoma State University. 

Scottie Barnes ’20 went fourth overall to the Toronto Raptors, even 

higher than he had been previously projected. Scottie played with 

Florida State University before being drafted. 

Moses Moody ’20 went at No. 14 to the Golden State Warriors after 

a solid year with the University of Arkansas. 

Day’Ron Sharpe ’20 was chosen late in the first round, going to 

the Phoenix Suns with the No. 29 overall selection. DayʼRon had 

a strong season for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Tar Heels, joining several alumni teammates in the Atlantic Coast 

Conference (ACC). 

Three other players were predicted as fringe picks in the second 

round, and they all found NBA teams before the night was over, 

giving the Academy the title of most picks in a single year. 

Filip Petrusev ’18 was the first MVA pick in the second round, going 

at the No. 50 overall selection to the Philadelphia 76ers. Petrusev 

was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2020, 

then signed a pro contract with Mega Soccerbet in Serbia to further 

develop. He will join two other Academy alumni at the 76ers in Ben 

Simmons ʼ15 and Joel Embid. 


Sandro Mamukelashvili ’17, who earned Big East Player 

of the Year honors this season at Seton Hall, was selected 

by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 54 overall pick. 

Balsa Koprivica ’18 was a teammate to Petrusev on 

the roster that won the 2018 National Championship at 

MVA. Koprivica went with the No. 57 pick to the Charlotte 

Hornets but will be playing for the Detroit Pistons this 

season after a draft-night trade. 

Two additional alumni signed contracts following draft 

night. Micah Potter ʼ16 signed on with the Miami Heat 

while MaCio Teague ʼ16 signed an Exhibit 10 with the 

Utah Jazz. 

“We’re so grateful we could be a part of the development 

of these guys, to reach their goals and to exceed their 

expectations. The culture that the school has developed 

in our school community has been replicated in our 

basketball program. The maturity of the student body and 

the direction that Dr. Kesselring has led the Academy 

have all played a big part in helping these guys find great 

success,” said MVA Head Coach Kevin Boyle. 

These 2021 MVA Draft Picks will join other alumni also 

playing in the NBA including D'Angelo Russell ʼ14, who 

was the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA draft, Dakari Johnson 

ʼ14, who was No. 48 pick in 2015, previously mentioned 

Ben Simmons ʼ15 who was the first selection in the 2016 

Draft and Joel Embiid who was the third selection in the 

2014 Draft. RJ Barrett ʼ18 had an incredible impact on the 

Duke University roster before being selected third in the 

2019 Draft. Precious Achiuwa ’19 had a storied run with 

the University of Memphis before being selected twentieth 

in the first round of the 2020 Draft. 

MOSES MOODY ʼ20 


Coach Boyle & Cade Cunningham 

Coach Boyle & Scottie Barnes 


We’re so grateful we could be a part of the 

development of these guys, to reach their 

goals and to exceed their expectations. 

The maturity of the student body and 

the direction that Dr. Kesselring has led 

the Academy have all played a big part in 

helping these guys find great success. 

Kevin Boyle, Head Coach 

DAYʼRON SHARPE ʼ20 


Filip Petrusev Balsa Koprivica Sandro Mamukelashvili 


Lessons Learned 

from the “Garden” 

By Dean Bell, Director of Arts 

46 THE TOWER | SUMMER 2021 

Amelie Jamie in “The Secret Garden”

Sofia Chocho, Gia Parker, Dylan Bova 

Cast of “The Secret Garden” 

As I write this article, I have recently completed a run of “The Secret Garden,” a musical 

of which I have always been incredibly fond. The music for this show is beautiful, and 

the story line is timeless. Every time I see the show I find new meaning in its words, 

and this production was no exception. The lessons I gleaned from the “Garden” this 

time helped shape my thoughts as I wrote this article for “The Tower.” 

Number One: The Garden doesn’t grow without time 

and dedication. Any of you who have ever attempted to 

grow your own garden know this lesson well. I spent the 

bulk of my life living in the middle of 110 square miles of 

nothing but agriculture in Ohio. So, while never a farmer 

myself, I know a great deal about the process; and first 

and foremost, you can tell who puts time into their crops. 

The number of times my wife and I would drive down the 

roads and point out what fields obviously belonged to the 

Harrison farm, because their crops looked far superior to 

others, were many. They put in the time. When people 

come to the Arts performances at MVA, they recognize 

our crops are better than those around us. We put in the 

time and dedication to ensure our Garden is recognized 

as the best around. That dedication is from everyone, 

students, parents and staff alike, and those hours pay off. 

Being a top-rated program is no easier than producing 

a bumper crop of wheat; it is planned and committed 

work that doesn’t happen by accident. Taking the time to 

make sure all the weeding and watering gets done isn’t 

glamorous, but when the harvest comes, it brings a smile 

to all our faces and makes us proud of the work invested 

in the results. 

Number Two: A Garden is easier to grow if you have 

the right tools. Everything from soil to fertilizer to tractors 

and other equipment all come into play when working 

to produce an award-winning Garden. We are fortunate 

at MVA that we have some very fertile soil to plant in, 

amazing plants to work with, and a perfect climate for the 

crops we are looking to grow. That base alone gives us 

an incredible advantage, and we are so thankful for the 

administrative support that makes conditions right for our 

crops to grow. We are also amazingly blessed with the 

Arts Alliance support we have in providing us with the 

tools we need to ensure our growth is in no way limited. 

With over 100 families supporting our endeavors, the 

strength of community behind our efforts is unparalleled. 

This year we have been fortunate to have Westgate 

Resorts sign on as a presenting sponsor for the entire 

2021-22 Fine Arts Season. Gifts like this, and the support 

of our loyal families and patrons make all the difference in 

what fruit our Garden bears. 

Number Three: To keep the Garden healthy you have 

to occasionally rotate your crops. This one has been 

keenly on my mind as most of you know we graduated 

the largest, and arguably most talented, Conservatory 


Javier Collazo Lopez and Amelie Jamie 

Cast of “The Secret Garden” 

class to date in 2021. After that bountiful harvest we 

indeed wondered what our Garden would produce this 

year. If you attended the Fall Theatre production or the Fall 

Vocal Salon, you know the answer! Careful tending of the 

remaining plants, selecting some quality new seeds, and 

spending a bit more time nurturing is already making this 

year’s Garden look as beautiful as last. We are grateful to 

be aided in this effort in part by programs such as the W. 

Daniel Mills Scholarship program which helps us to find the 

talented people to add to our garden who only need the 

right soil to grow and flourish. We do not, however, want 

to lose sight of last year’s crop, which has gone on to take 

root in other Gardens where they will continue to grow and 

mature until ready to move to even greener pastures. Their 

legacy brings attention to the fine work MVA creates in the 

Arts and continues to help our Garden grow. 

Number Four: A “Master Gardener” can make all the 

difference in how your Garden grows. Again, as I think 

back to my time in Ohio, the reason the Harrison farms 

outshine the others is largely due to the fact that their 

patriarch might be the single most knowledgeable farmer 

I have ever met. What he brings to the table is unequaled. 

In the MVA Arts, we are fortunate to be led by a full 

Creative Team of “Master Gardeners.” Their experiences 

and skill sets are what perennially ensure our Garden 

will blossom into something amazing. That is in all areas, 

music, theatre, visual art, and media arts. I especially 

want to make mention of outgoing Director of Theatre, 

Roberta Emerson, who has left us to advance her career 

as the Director of New Play Development for Orlando 

Shakespeare and Professor of Theatre at the University of 

Central Florida. Ms. Emerson is a Master Gardener, and 

the Gardens she produced while at Montverde Academy 

were record-setting. I want to publicly thank her for all she 

did in growing our Garden over her time here at MVA; we 

will continue to reap the benefits of her efforts for years 

to come. To that end, after a lengthy search, we have 

secured a new Master Gardener to take up her work. Mr. 

James Warren, a 31-year veteran Theatre educator, has 

been hired as the new Director of Theatre. In addition to 

his many years of experience, Mr. Warren is the Assistant 

State Director of Florida Thespians, a longtime chair of 

District IX, an inductee into the National Theatre Educator 

Hall of Fame, and behind a host of awards at his previous 

school, Wharton High School, including 28 straight Top 

Honors for his One Acts. We feel confident Mr. Warren will 

provide exactly the level of leadership we need to ensure 

our Garden remains at the award-winning level we have 

all come to expect. 

Number Five: To plant a Garden is to believe in tomorrow. 

That quote by the great actress Audrey Hepburn likely 

was not crafted for the way I plan to interpret it, but it is 

particularly apt. As educators, we certainly are planting 

this Garden because we believe in tomorrow. We believe 

in the tomorrow of the student artists we are cultivating 

who will go on to make the Arts an integral part of their 

life, and for many their life’s work. We believe in the 

tomorrow where the Art we teach our students touches 

individuals, communities and the world and has the power 

to enact change. And we believe in the tomorrow where 

the inclusion and acceptance we foster in our Arts classes 

and Conservatories serves as a model for others. Beyond 


Kaitlin Bennett 

Cast of “A... My Name is Alice” 

the immediate reward of seeing the concerts, plays, films, 

and artwork produced at MVA daily, the Garden we are 

growing is designed to bear ever-greater fruit for years to 

come. 

“Time Bros” 

APPLAUSE AWARDS 

So, I invite you to drop by our award-winning Garden and 

see for yourself the reward of our efforts. Our upcoming 

productions include a newly written One Act by our new 

Director of Theatre entitled “Stone,” and the amazing 

holiday celebration “Lessons and Carols.” Information 

on all of these events can be found on the Montverde 

Academy website. In the meantime, we will continue 

to tend and grow an amazing crop of Artists and Arts 

programs for the enjoyment of all to see! 

BREAK A LEG! 


By Ashley Kesselring, 


Montverde Academy has top-of-the-line arts programs 

ranging from theatre and music to media arts, painting, 

pottery, photography, graphic design, and more. These 

classes are not solely focused on art concepts at hand, 

but rather on the whole student and creating wellrounded 

citizens. 

“Visual Arts greatly impacts the students by giving them the opportunity 

to work the other side of the brain,” said Mr. Logan Troutman, Media 

Arts Teacher. “I see creativity like a muscle, which is essential for 

problem-solving. With my class particularly, I love observing how the 

students collaborate creatively with each other to create video content. 

I do believe that what makes someone a great leader, is their ability to 

listen and respond intentionally. Listening happens to be a huge part of 

the collaborative process. The students get tons of experience working 

with different personalities to achieve the same goal, which aids to their 

development as a leader and as a professional.” 

“The visual arts are so much more than what you see,” said Mrs. Kristy 

Tubbs, Upper School Art Teacher. “Learning to draw/paint and think 

creatively helps prepare students for the future. The truth is that earning 

to paint, create a website, design an energy-efficient technology requires 

mastering skills that are often invisible to the naked eye but are developed 

through a strong visual arts education.” 

“Beyond the simple aesthetics that the Arts are, it passes on the best of our 

humanity and culture to future generations,” said Mr. Dean Bell, Director of 

Arts. “As the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities recognized, 

ʻdecades of research show strong and consistent links between high-quality 

arts education and a wide range of impressive educational outcomes.’ 

Indeed, it is the very fact that the Arts are a means of developing creative 

and flexible forms of thinking that make them so valuable in a world that 

is an increasingly visual age. As Maxine Greene stated, ʻwe know that 

imagination reaches toward a future, toward what might be, what should 

be, what is not yet.’ It is that ability to envision, conceptualize, and create 

that is the hallmark of the Arts and why their study is more pertinent now 

than ever. There is a reason as we are creating the MVA Innovation Center 

that the Arts will be a mainstay within the project. Students’ ability to utilize 

Toluwani Babs-Ajayi 

Lower School students 


multimedia sources to enhance not only their learning but 

their presentation abilities, will prove key to their future 

successes both in academia and the workforce.” 

“In most cases, my ceramics students have not had any 

prior experience working with clay,” said Ms. Rhonda 

Ross, Upper School Art Teacher. “My Ceramics class 

is very basic and is a good class to take when you’ve 

never had anything like it, you might discover a hidden 

gift or interest that you didn’t know about. It may stretch 

your comfort zone, but it opens up a sense of finding out 

more about yourself that may have remained hidden. In 

my crafts class, there are similar experiences as well. 

Anything that my students create is unique and priceless 

creations that are one-of-a-kind.” 

“As our world becomes more and more visual, 

photography plays a larger role in communicating ideas,” 

said Mrs. Kimberly Braden, Photography Teacher. 

“Whether the student has an interest in advertising, 

fashion, photojournalism, or fine art, with the innovation 

center, we will be able to prepare our students with the 

skills and knowledge they will need to reach their goals 

as visual artists. They will be learning about the latest 

techniques in lighting, photo styling, drones, digital 

cameras, and adobe suites.” 

The students gain experience working with different 

personalities to achieve the same goal, which aids to their 

development as a leader and as a professional. 

“Susan Sciafani, a member of the New Commission on 

the Skills of the American Workforce stated, ʻCorporate 

leaders in America believe that the success of America 

is going to depend on a flow of innovative ideas.’ At 

Montverde Academy, we are fortunate to have already 

recognized this, set it as a priority for our students, and 

can facilitate our Arts instruction with a group of teaching 

professionals who firmly embody these tenets. As 

Sciafani concluded, ʻthe[se] innovative ideas will come 

because students have the opportunity to engage in the 

Above, a students creates his own font. Right, student art on display in 

Mrs. Tubbs classroom. 

Arts.’ Our integrated Arts curriculum is designed to provide 

MVA students exactly that level of engagement and the 

ability to imagine what is not yet,” said Mr. Bell. 

Classes in the arts at Montverde Academy don’t only 

create skilled students but global citizens with differing 

perspectives that are set to make an impact upon their 

graduation from the Academy. 

“The visual arts teach students to respect others, start 

a dialogue, experiment with materials, observe, find 

their voice, self-evaluate, make connections, express 

themselves, learn from their mistakes, clean up, reflect on 

their work, embrace diversity, persevere, have an opinion, 

appreciate beauty, break away from stereotypes, envision 

solutions, value aesthetics, see another point of view, and 

innovate… to name a few,” said Mrs. Tubbs. 

Dilyara Bulambayeva Student art wall Mateo Ortiz, Mrs. Tubbs, Rose Palmer 


Senior Retreat 

By Sebastian Ressler, Head Prefect 

The senior retreat was an amazing time we got to spend 

with our classmates. However, they are more than our 

classmates, they are our family. We spend more time 

with our classmates for nine months out of the year then 

we spend with our parents. This retreat was a great 

opportunity to celebrate all of the adversity we went 

through on our journey to become a senior. The road 

wasn’t easy. We went through a pandemic for 75 percent 

of our high school careers and to have a weekend to 

spend and celebrate was an amazing time for all of us. 

competitive at times, it was always a thrill. Cars racing 

all over the park all fighting for bragging rights. Or the 

little water ride where everyone would spray their friends 

waiting in line. 

The senior retreat was described as “an amazing 

experience that I will never forget.” It was an amazing time 

to spend the weekend and bond even further after all the 

adversity we fought through with the ones we loved. 

We were able to balance our celebration with service and 

fun at the same time. On Friday we were able to help out 

our Lake County Sheriff’s Office and our local community 

by building and donating bicycles for children to have 

this Christmas. Many described the project as “fulfilling” 

and “exciting” because we were able to give back while 

having a blast with our classmates as well. Then to wrap 

up our Friday evening we were able to attend the Island 

H 2 0 water park. It was a blast! When you look left and 

right you saw people running from water slide to water 

slide and flowing down the lazy river. All you could hear 

was laughing, giggling, and a few people screaming when 

the slide dropped from underneath their feet. Little heads 

bobbing up and down as the waves soared in the wave 

pool. It was truly an amazing evening. 

The next day we attended Fun Spot. Even though it 

was an option more than 80 percent of the senior class 

attended speaking volumes to the amount of fun we all 

had this weekend. Even though the go carts got very 

Sebastian Ressler and teammate JaVonya Valcourt 


DIVERSITYFESTBy Margaret Price, Assistant Dean of Students for 

Multiculturalism, Leadership, and Student Programs 

The Montverde Academy 2021 Diversity Fest was held 

in October. The MVA Community from all three divisions 

gathered at the Bell Tower, located at the center and heart 

of our campus, to celebrate the heritage and history of our 

staff and families from around the globe! 

The celebration began with a flag processional and 

flag raising to acknowledge and salute the 99 countries 

represented by the students, staff, and families from the 

lower, middle, and upper school divisions. It was wonderful 

to witness the pride of the guests as their country's 

name was announced and their flag entered the circle. 

The rest of the evening included live entertainment and 

food samples from various countries, inflatable obstacle 

courses and bounce houses, face painting, Enchanted 

Mirror photo booth and food trucks with the laughter of our 

students as the backdrop. While the entertainers offered 

an introduction to the Caribbean, Mexico, China, Brazil 

and Africa, the MVA Parent Association showed up in a 

big way this year with booths hosted by parents offering 

a taste of cuisine from 24 different countries. A surprise 

appearance by a stilt walker and balloon animal artist was 

the perfect addition to the celebration. 

On behalf of the event organizers, we are grateful for the 

opportunity to serve our MVA Community and appreciate 

all participates who came out to enjoy and create 

memories during the 2021 MVA Diversity Fest. 

Photo Credit: Gabby Palanti, Student Photographer 

Photo Credit: Gabby Palanti, Student 

Photographer 


NEWS 

BARN 


from the 

In just four events so far this season, Montverde Academy Equestrian has brought 

home a combined total of 84 ribbons! That tremendous return, alongside major 

improvements to our facilities, marks 2021-22 as another year of tremendous growth 

for the newly revitalized equine program. 

“I think the teams have grown tremendously, in number 

but also in strength,” said Equestrian Director Holly 

Rosenau. “Whenever we go to a show, we feel very proud 

to take them, because they are placing, and they are 

keeping up with the local people and doing well against 

them and taking top placements. And they know going to 

shows aren’t stressful anymore. They know exactly what 

to do when they get there, they know how to unpack, how 

to prep, how to practice the day before, etc. They all have 

really improved a lot.” 

While she reiterated thoroughly how much the team has 

grown as a whole, Coach Rosenau singled out a few key 

riders that she’s seen tremendous improvement in over 

the course of the year. 

“Stella Belmore immediately comes to mind as a rider that 

has grown,” said Coach Rosenau. “She got a young horse 

for Christmas, so she’s spent this year learning how to 

train it and how to work with a young horse even though 

she’s young herself. So, she’s had to learn the challenges 

of working with a young, unexperienced horse, and learn 


how to push through that mentally and physically and how to adjust herself. I think 

she’s done super with taking all that in stride.” 

Meet some 

of the team! 

Rio 

Competition is just one aspect of 

equine knowledge team members 

learn. The care of horses, including 

grooming is a very important part of 

the Equestrian program. 

Dev 

“We’ve also got Kara Brauman, who has really stepped it up this year,” said Coach 

Rosenau. “She went through a big growth spurt and having to learn as you’re growing 

is very difficult. Kara has really come into her own. Last year she was jumping 

crossrails, and that’s where we were going to leave her for a little while, but now she’s 

already moving up into 2-ft jump horses!” Rosenau also spoke to several critical barn 

improvements that are ongoing. 

In the past few years, they’ve gotten a completely new carpenter arena, new sprinklers, 

and new sod in three of the paddocks. All the fencing on the property is being redone 

in phases, and there will be special white vinyl fencing around the small arena. The 

old tack room will get knocked down to help open airflow in the barn, and more wash 

racks and grooming racks will be added to help ease congestion. On top of it all, they’re 

adding a parent seating area so they can relax and watch in the shade! 

Luna 

Rosenau was most excited about their new tackroom, which was recently completed 

and over two-and-a-half times the size of the current tackroom. 

“When I started, there were so few kids that our small tackroom was perfectly fine. But 

a year later, it was so cluttered and there was so much going on that we had to redo 

the inside and take out some walls. But here we are another year later and the room is 

way too small again. We have 13 boarders who keep their horses here, we’ve got more 

equipment because we’re doing new and different training techniques, more kids that 

keep their boots/helmets there. So, we took six horse stalls and converted them, and 

we’re so happy with the final result!” 

Chance 

The Equestrian team with their many ribbons 


RELATIONS 

By Nyoshie Higgins, Alumni Relations and Engagement Officer 

The last few months have been a whirlwind in the Alumni Office. We had the opportunity 

to give a number of tours to alumni who have come by to see their old stomping grounds 

and reconnect with former teachers. Our doors are open so please set up a tour with the 

alumni office if you are ever in the area. 

We are excited announce that we will be hosting Coffee 

with Montverde Academy at various colleges around 

Central Florida. This will be an opportunity to meetup with 

former students and reconnect with your alma mater. The 

first of these events will be at UCF on November 17 at 

Foxtails in the bookstore. We will be there from 9:30 a.m. 

to 12:30 p.m. with reserved seating. Come enjoy coffee 

and brunch with us! 

This year we also started our alumni mentorship program, 

which we hope will grow into a robust part of our alumni 

program. We hope to eventually pair Upper School 

students with alumni who are working or studying in their 

field of interest. If you are interested in being a part of this 

opportunity, please reach out to our office and we will get 

you signed up and provide you with more information. 

Alumni Homecoming is January 27-29, 2022, during MAIT 

weekend so mark your calendar. We will be celebrating 

the reunions of years ending in 2’s and 7’s and will have a 

special recognition to our house parents who have given 

so much to our boarding students over the years. We 

also hope to have some very special teachers who will 

be in attendance and give our alumni the opportunity to 

reconnect with them. This year everyone that completes 

an RSVP form will be entered to win some free MVA gear. 

In addition, we will have some exclusive offerings for those 

in attendance. Please sign up today on all our social media 

platforms! We are so excited to see you. 

The Alumni Office has also been supporting the Development 

Team in plans and preparations for our new Educational 

Technology and Innovation Center. This is an exciting 

project that will expand the educational experience of 

our current students. We look forward to engaging our 

alumni community in the establishment of this center 

especially those in STEM fields. If you are interested in 

learning more about the opportunities that we have for 

you to support this project please reach out to alumni@ 

montverde.org. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Upcoming Events 

For upcoming events, check out Alumni at montverde.org 

NOV. 17 JAN. 27-29 

‟Eagle/Knight” 

Coffee & brunch 

at Foxtail Coffee Co. 

in the UCF Bookstore. 

Homecoming 

at MAIT. 

Reunion celebration 

for classes ending in 2 

and 7. 


ALUMNI 

2022 

HOMECOMING 

Join Montverde Academy for Alumni Homecoming 

at the 19th Annual MAIT Tournament! 

MOSES 

MOODY ’20 

DAY’RON 

SHARPE ’20 

Join us at the Nest and the Alumni Lounge! 

• Alumni receive complimentary entry into MAIT all 

three nights 

• Alumni Lounge features music and TV 

broadcasting of all the action inside MAIT 

• Reunion Celebration for class years 

ending in 2 and 7 

• Enjoy complimentary drinks (21+ for 

adult beverages) and appetizers 

MONTVERDE 

ACADEMY 

SCOTTIE 

BARNES ’20 

CADE 

CUNNINGHAM ’20 

KNOWLEDGE • CHARACTER • COMMUNITY 


Christina with her daughter Gabriella 

CHRISTINA SIEGLER ’05 


Christina Siegler ʼ05 is the first alumnus who was a 

student under Dr. Kesselring to enroll their child at 

the Academy. Christina spent five years at Montverde 

Academy before heading to Florida Atlantic University 

to earn her bachelor's degree in Communication and 

Multimedia Journalism. 

Since then, she has had two daughters, two-year-old Sofia 

and MVA first grade student Gabriella. Christina has also 

pursued a career at 10Up, a web development agency 

headquartered in Roseville, California, where she is the 

Associate Director of Client Delivery. In that position, she 

remotely manages a team of engineers and designers to 

build beautiful, high-functioning websites. 

When reflecting on her time at MVA and the role it 

played in the trajectory of her life, Christina valued her 

involvement in the Fine Arts program, running track 

and cross-country, and being a manager for the boysʼ 

basketball team. 

“My time at MVA greatly impacted my life. While at 

Montverde Academy, I learned a lot about diversity, what 

it means to be a good citizen, and how to handle myself 

outside of the classroom.” 

Christinaʼs memories include several mentors from her 

time as a student. Coach Sutton instilled timeliness, 

something that she carries with her to this day and reflects 

on as she prepares for meetings. Mrs. Mooreʼs comforting 

smile in the student center is still a fond memory. Goofy 

times with Mr. Monroe and Mr. Connelly involved Santa 

suits for the Holiday piano productions and experimenting 

with the “green machine” bike. 

“Christina is a phenomenal person and was always willing 

to lend a hand in the student center,” said Mrs. Lynne 

Moore, Student Center Manager. “She has a heart of gold, 

and I am so proud of the person that she has become. 

Christina will always have a special place in my heart.” 

As a student at the Academy since Middle School, 

Christina had words to share for current MVA students. 

“Cherish your time there. Get involved in all of the things 

that interest you. Once you graduate, stay in contact with 

the people you care about the most. Come back to the 

school often and get involved.” 

Her new role as an MVA parent has rejuvenated her 

connection to the MVA Alumni Association and is looking 

to make an impact as her daughter will join her as an 

alumnus in the Class of 2033. 

“I hope to get involved as much as possible and help bring 

Montverde Academy back into the lives of all the alumni 

out there. I am so grateful for my time at Montverde 

Academy and really cherish my five years there. I really 

look forward to seeing the school from my daughterʼs eyes 

years later.” 


Nick Diatta came to 


in 2007 from the 

African country of 

Senegal. Following 

his graduation from 

the Academy in 

2009, Nick earned a 

degree in Business 

Marketing from 

Missouri Valley College, where he played basketball. His 

time in collegiate athletics landed him a contract to play 

professional basketball in Qatar from 2016 to 2018 at the 

Alwakra Sports Club. 

Following a career overseas, Nick married fellow 

Senegalese native Juliana Gomis and returned to campus 

to be a resident faculty member and dorm parent in Arnold 

Hall. The relationships he built with the MVA community 

have served him well in his transition to a faculty member 

with the goal of giving back to others. As a boys’ Middle 

School basketball coach at MVA, Nick has been able to 

work with student-athletes that are in the early stages of 

developing their skills, providing a perfect environment 

where he can foster a passion for basketball while molding 

young minds to be good humans. 

NICK DIATTA ’09 

“Be kind to the people at MVA and come to visit the MVA 

community when you have a chance to do it,” said Nick. 

Nick has upheld his goal of supporting others as is 

evident through his basketball camp that is hosted in his 

Senegalese hometown every summer. Nick returns home 

and puts together a basketball camp with the help of both 

American and Senegalese coaches where he teaches 

basic skills and drills as well as creating Monteverde 

Academy fans at every corner. With old MAIT shirts in 

tow, Nick looks to give back to his community and those 

surrounding it through the sport of basketball. 

Throughout his time at Montverde Academy, Nick learned 

many life lessons surrounded by a diverse and supportive 

community. 

“I hope that all the students really know their opportunities 

and the chance that they have to come to MVA so that 

when they graduate and pursue their next phase of life 

in college or professional leagues, they will remember 

the good things at MVA. My advice to them is to take the 

chance they have at MVA to do the right things, learn 

in the classroom and their sport, and make long-lasting 

friendships!” 

Nick Diatta ’09 L(back row, third) with students from his recent basketball camp. 



VANIA LAGUERRE ’81 


Haitian native Vania Laguerre was a boarding student who graduated in 1981. Since 

her days at the Academy, Vania earned a double major in Finance and International 

Business from Florida International University before embarking on a 30-year career 

with Merrill Lynch. After Bank of America acquired Merrill Lynch, Vania secured the 

role as Senior Vice President - Local Market Executive and finds herself responsible 

for connecting the resources of the company’s eight lines of business serving people, 

companies, and institutional investors in Miami. 

Vania has a niche interest in helping young and emerging 

professionals find a healthy work-life balance while 

providing them with valuable work experiences that could 

benefit their careers. 

“This is what feeds my soul,” said Vania. “I feel very 

satisfied with the work that I am doing because I know that 

I am making a difference in my community, and I hope to 

build on that.” 

I have been able to achieve so 

much since leaving MVA and 

I reflect fondly on that time 

and really believe it helped 

set me on a successful track. 

Vania Laguerre 

Vania came to America in 1980 to attend Montverde 

Academy after leaving Haiti for Montreal, Canada to stay 

with family before arriving in Florida in an effort to leave 

the political unrest behind. As a boarding student, Vaniaʼs 

experience on campus mirrors the experiences of our 

current boarding students in many ways. 

Vania's experiences at Montverde Academy prepared 

her well for life after graduation. “In my current position, 

I serve a diverse community and MVA certainly laid the 

foundation for my ability to interact and understand the 

different cultural backgrounds of some of my clients on 

a personal level. The boarding school provided great 

preparation for college. It taught me independence and 

how to take care of myself. The relationships that I created 

and the depth of those connections with the other students 

definitely helped me in my life and dealing with people.” 

Vania had so many impactful memories come from her 

time at the Academy. Reminiscing on connections with 

classmates, Vania spoke fondly of Malina ʻMindyʼ Melton 

who recently passed away, reflecting on her positive 

character. Roommate Lesley Carney and friends Judy 

Dillon and Umberto Kamperveen, both from Suriname in 

South America, were all integral in how she values her 

experiences as a student. 

“I would say they should cherish the relationships that 

they are nurturing right now. Do not take it for granted if 

you find someone you connect with while in school be 

intentional about staying connected. A few people I met at 

MVA were such great people I wish I had kept the line of 

communication open.” 

“I have been able to achieve so much since leaving MVA 

and I reflect fondly on that time and really believe it helped 

set me on a successful track.” 

“The school was quite diverse when I was there. What 

was wonderful about dorm life at MVA was that everyone 

was from somewhere else and we were all placed in 

unfamiliar circumstances and it was very unifying because 

we were all living the same life, so no one felt ostracized. 

I met people from all over the world especially Latin 

America and heard their stories of where they came from 

and how they lived,” said Vania. 


1 2 

3 4 

5 

6 7 8 

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 

2006 

(1) Welcome CHRISTINA 

SIEGLER, our newest 

board member and first 

alumni under Dr. Kesselring 

to have a student enrolled 

at MVA. 

2008 

(2) MO HOOPER is 

expecting another baby 

boy in December. She is 

currently living in Louisiana 

after purchasing her first 

home with her husband 

and is on active-duty in 

the Air Force where she 

works as a Federal Agent. 

She graduated from the 

University of Maryland, 

College Park in 2012 with 

a BA in Criminology and 

Master's from Michigan 

State University in 2018. 

(3) DANIELLE WAITT 

PORTELA welcomed 

a baby girl. This is the 

second daughter for her 

and her husband, Jose. 

. 

62 THE TOWER | WINTER 2021 

BIANCA WALKER is 

living in Miami and is a 

successful social media 

influencer with over 40,000 

IG followers. 

2011 

MARK DOYLE is a 

seventh-grade writing 

teacher at Excellence Boys 

Elementary Academy in 

New York. 

(4) DEVON RODGERS 

plays the leading role in 

two films, “Stand Out” and 

“Tajriba: The Experiment,” 

in the Independent Festival 

Circuit premiering this 

November. He will be 

attending his first-ever red 

carpet at AMC at Disney 

Springs. He also returned 

to campus for MVAʼs “The 

Secret Garden.” 

2012 

PATRICIO GARINO 

played for the Argentinian 

Basketball Team in the 2020 

Olympic games in Tokyo. 

LAUREN ROBERTSON 

obtained a position at 

Littler Mendelson, which 

is the largest labor and 

employment law firm in the 

country. She graduated 

with her BS in Psychology 

in 2016 and completed a 

law degree from Florida 

A&M in 2020. 

2013 

Congratulations to CAITLIN 

EMILING, who graduated 

from University of Miami 

law school in 2020 and 

is now an attorney at DSK 

Law. 

2014 

(5) Congrats to BRENDAN 

BOYLE, who was married 

on October 1, 2021 to his 

lovely wife Kirsten. 

(6) HANS HANLEY visited 

campus and is in the 

process of completing a 

Ph.D. from Stanford in 

Computer Science. 

LORENZO MOLINA is 

currently in medical school 

in the Caribbean and made 

the dean’s list. 

2015 

Congratulations to 

SIMA alum FEDERICO 

BARRIOS, who signed with 

professional soccer team 

CAI Panama. 

(7) SKYLAR KNIGHT 

graduated with his Master’s 

degree in May 2021 in 

Public Administration 

from George Washington 

University, and was recently 

awarded the Newman Civic 

Fellow Award at the Florida 

Compact Conference. 

2016 

(8) GRACE CARPENTER 

graduated from Western 

Governors University with a 

BS in elementary education 

and special education. 

She is working as an ESE 

teacher at Lake Butler 

Elementary School.

7 8 9 

9 10 

11 12 

13 

14 15 16 

SEND US YOUR CLASS NOTES! Send Class Notes submissions and a high-resolution (at least 300 dpi) photos to 

nyoshie.higgins@montverde.org or mail to Class Notes at MVA, 17235 Seventh Street, Montverde, FL 34756. 

(9) KONNOR 

KESSELRING accepted 

a position as the Director 

of Operations for the 

University of Portland 

Men’s Soccer Program. 

(10) DESTINY MOYE 

HANGER is expecting a 

baby boy in November. 

She is currently working 

at Webber International 

University as financial aid 

work-study coordinator. 

(11) ISABELLA OJEDA 

graduated from Florida 

International University 

Magna Cum Laude with a 

BS in Communication with 

a focus in Broadcast Media 

and a minor in Social Media 

Marketing and E-Analytics. 

She also completed 

her Master’s of Global 

Strategic Communication 

from Florida International 

University in 2021. 

CASSIE RATHIE is living 

in Atlanta, GA and working 

as an actress. She will 

be on season 4 of Ozark 

and has a featured part in 

a movie coming out this 

Christmas called A Cupid 

for Christmas. She plans to 

work full-time as an actress 

in 2022. 

(12) ALEX WILLIAMS will 

be finishing her Master´s 

degree in Social Work at 

Syracuse University in 2022. 

KATHERINE YOUNG 

accepted a job in Portland 

with an International 

Architecture firm that 

focuses on building 

workplaces with a 

sustainable future. 

(13) MICAH POTTER 

signed with the Miami Heat 

Basketball Team! He and 

his beautiful wife Catherine 

were married in June. 

MACIO TEAGUE 

signed with the Utah 

Jazz basketball team. 

2017 

Congratulations to SIMA 

alum JONATHAN ANTOR, 

who graduated from the 

University of Tampa. 

Best wishes to AJAH 

BISAILLON, who delivered 

a healthy baby boy in 

September. 

(14) MORGAN 

KAUFFMAN recently 

graduated from High 

point University, Magna 

Cum Laude, with a BA in 

Journalism, and a minor 

in Spanish. She will 

continue her education at 

HPU in an MA program 

in Communication and 

Business Leadership. 

(15) LUCAS TURNAGE 

has a lot to celebrate! He 

was engaged to Abby Akin 

on August 10, and recently 

enlisted in the U.S Army. 

(16) SOFÍA GÓMEZ 

ENRÍQUEZ RIART 

completed her BS in 

Accounts and Management 

Information Systems 

from Northern Illinois 

University, and started a 

job with Deloitte in San 

Francisco. She will also 

represent Paraguay in the 

Copa de Los Andes Golf 

Championship in Santiago, 

Chile in November. 

SANDRO 

MAMUKELASHVILI 

earned Big East Player 

of the Year honors this 

season at Seton Hall. 

He was selected by the 

Milwaukee Bucks with the 

No. 54 overall pick in the 

2021 NBA Draft. 

2018 

IAN CORTES Will 

graduate from High Point 

University this year and 

is commissioned to be an 

officer in the U.S. Army 

in May. 


17 18 19 20 

21 22 23 24 25 24 

(17) FRANCISCO MATEO signed to 

the LA Dodgers. Congratulations! 

SELENA SALAS is in her senior 

year at Quinnipiac University and will 

graduate with a degree in psychology. 

She is playing Division 1 soccer and 

plans to go pro next year. 

(18) Congratulations to ELLE 

NEWTON on her engagement to Tim 

Bailey! 

BALSA KOPRIVICA, No. 57 2021 

NBA Draft pick, was selected by the 

Charlotte Hornets, but will play for 

the Detroit Pistons this season after a 

draft-night trade. 

FILIP PETRUSEV was picked No. 

50 in the second round of the 2021 

NBA Draft, by the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Petrusev was named West Coast 

Conference Player of the Year in 

2020, then signed a pro contract 

with Mega Soccerbet in Serbia to 

further develop. He will join two other 

Academy alumni at the 76ers in Ben 

Simmons ʼ15 and Joel Embid. 

2019 

(19) PRECIOUS ACHIUWA played 

for the Nigerian Basketball Team in 

the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo. 

Drafted No. 20 in 2020, he now plays 

for the Toronto Raptors. 

(20) LUIZA FULLANA, a junior at 

Charleston Southern University, 

won the Big South Conference 

Tournament for Tennis! 

2020 

(21) CAROLINA NINA CHAVES is 

a Sophomore at Adelphi University 

on the Dean’s list and is part of a 

student leadership program called 

the Levemore Global scholars 

program and is still playing tennis for 

her college team 

JOAO CORREIRA is attending USF 

in the pre-med program. He is also 

a Chemistry tutor and mentor for the 

Brazilian Student Association. 

(22) KALIA CORTES is currently at 

FSU has maintained a 4.0 GPA and is 

majoring in Biology and Chemistry. 

TYLER MORGAN attends FSU and a 

member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon 

(23) Congratulations to MOLLY 

SMITH who was nominated for the 

National Academy of Television Arts 

& Sciences Award (NATAS) and was 

nominated for two Emmy's for her 

original works “An Open Letter to 

the Class of 2020” and “Feminism: 

The Fifth Wave.” She is currently at 

freshman at Yale. 

2021 

(24) ATEM KATO is a freshman at 

the University of Portland where he 

plays for the Men’s Soccer Team. 

(25) LUKE KAWABE is a freshman at 

Oregon State University and playing 

for their Men’s Soccer team. 

Congrats to JACOB WILLIAMSON 

who earned a scholarship to join the 

Navy Reserve Officer Training Corp. 


JOIN TODAY! 

OR DONATE TODAY! 

montverde.org/artsalliance 

For more information, contact Mary-Kay Rath at mary-kay.rath@montverde.org 

REVIEWS ARE IN! 

5 STARS FOR THE ARTS ALLIANCE 

“The Arts Alliance celebrates the best of what Montverde 

Academy has to offer... talented artists, meaningful fellowship, 

diversity of community, and a purposeful contribution.” 

– Dean Bell 

“Standing ovation for MVA Arts Alliance!” – Don Pedro 

DON’T MISS OUR 

SPRING PERFORMANCES 

Spring String Concert 

“Bach, Beethoven and Beyond” 

“The Sound of Music” 

“Charming: A Cinderella Story” 

“Much Ado About Nothing” 

MONTVERDE ACADEMY 

ATHLETIC 

BOOSTER 

CLUB

at Green Valley Country Club 

2021 

Steel Worx Solutions Team 

The Gantt Family Team 

John Westlake, Jay Palmer, Mark Huxtable, Brian Jusas 

Maureen Kesselring and William Glass 

Kyle Burton, Kyle Wilson, Paul Armstrong 


The DeWitt Family 

Maureen Kesselring and Tom Dozier 

Powell Studio Architecture Team 

Kroger - Sponsors 

Mary-Kay Rath, Jeff Osterman, Kalena Meyers 

Quick Response Fire Protection Team 



17235 Seventh Street 

Montverde, FL 34756 

Montverde Academy’s 18th Annual Celebrating Education fundraising event 

MAY 7, 2022 

Clermont Performing Arts Center 

3700 South Hwy 27 

Clermont, Florida 34711 

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE: For more information, email kalena.meyers@montverde.org.

Tower Winter 2021

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