The Tower Winter 2023/24
A magazine for Montverde Academy alumni, family, and friends.
A magazine for Montverde Academy alumni, family, and friends.
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FEATURE ARTICLES<br />
Sparking Ideas and Innovation pg. 6<br />
Where in the World Is Monty? pg. 20<br />
Dance Conservatory pg. 36<br />
WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
HEAD OF SCHOOL<br />
Mr. Jon Hopman<br />
<strong>2023</strong>-<strong>24</strong> BOARD OF TRUSTEES<br />
Mr. Tim J. Bach<br />
Mr. Sean Parks<br />
Mr. Jon Frere<br />
Mr. T. Scott Ohmstede<br />
Mrs. S. Renee Lundy ’79 Mrs. Lori Specht ’84<br />
Mr. Michael Mason ’84 Mrs. Sandra O. Stephens<br />
Dr. Sidney McPhee Dr. Walter L. Stephens,<br />
Mr. Gregory L. Nelson Trustee Emeritus, 1999-2020<br />
STAFF<br />
Mrs. Clara Winborn<br />
Mrs. Ginny Holm<br />
Mrs. Nichole Smith<br />
Mrs. Kimberly Braden<br />
Creative Director<br />
Creative Editor<br />
Editor<br />
Photographer<br />
Contributors include faculty, staff, students,<br />
and parents of Montverde Academy.<br />
ADDRESS CHANGES AND<br />
CORRESPONDENCE<br />
Montverde Academy<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Tower</strong> Magazine<br />
17235 Seventh Street<br />
Montverde, FL 34756<br />
PRINTER<br />
Cromer International Press<br />
On the cover: Middle School students Efe Kozan and Lorenzo Rivera-Alvarez in the Chemistry Lab<br />
Interior: Upper School students enjoying the brand-new Education and Technology Innovation Center<br />
“<strong>The</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>” magazine is published exclusively for the alumni, parents, students,<br />
friends, faculty, and staff of Montverde Academy. It is intended to bring the latest news<br />
and information about the Academy’s growth and ongoing events.<br />
Every attempt has been made to present the information and listings in “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Tower</strong>”<br />
magazine as accurately as possible. We apologize if there are any discrepancies and<br />
would ask that you forward any amendments to our office. It is our policy to correct<br />
significant errors of fact in a timely fashion.<br />
CONNECT WITH US<br />
Are you looking for photos, events, news, and more? Montverde Academy provides the<br />
latest news and Eagle happenings on a variety of platforms. Follow us on social media.<br />
Visit montverde.org<br />
2 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
WINTER <strong>2023</strong> | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 1<br />
IN THIS ISSUE<br />
6<br />
Sparking Ideas and Innovation<br />
An Inside Look at the Brand-New Education and<br />
Technology Innovation Center<br />
20<br />
Where in the World Is Monty?<br />
An Enrollment Management Spotlight<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Message from the Head of School.....................................4<br />
Sparking Ideas and Innovation........................................... 6<br />
News Around Campus...................................................... 10<br />
Lower School Costume Parade........................................ 14<br />
Diversity Fest.................................................................... 16<br />
Parents' Perspective......................................................... 18<br />
Where in the World Is Monty?.......................................... 20<br />
Student Spotlights............................................................ 22<br />
Fall Sports Wrap-Up......................................................... 26<br />
Sports Highlight................................................................ 28<br />
College Signing Day......................................................... 30<br />
Fine Arts........................................................................... 32<br />
Dance Conservatory......................................................... 36<br />
Legacy Ball....................................................................... 38<br />
Notable Alumni................................................................. 40<br />
Alumni Class Notes.......................................................... 42<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 3
MESSAGE FROM THE<br />
HEAD OF SCHOOL<br />
By Mr. Jon Hopman, Head of School<br />
I have been an educator and parent<br />
for most of my adult life. As with<br />
many things, theory and reality do<br />
not always align perfectly, and it was<br />
not until I faced the reality of sending<br />
my son to college that I began to<br />
seriously question whether I had<br />
prepared him to be on his own.<br />
My son had great teachers his<br />
entire life, so I had confidence in his<br />
academic knowledge base and ability<br />
to meet the academic rigor he would<br />
face at the next level. Of greater<br />
concern were the more intangible<br />
life lessons that truly prepare a<br />
person to go out into the world and<br />
find success. As a parent, I want my<br />
children to be confident, grounded,<br />
respected, and capable. Being<br />
‟successful” is a given, but success is<br />
often defined by the individual.<br />
As society changes with each<br />
generation, parenting styles have<br />
changed, as well. We have all shared<br />
stories of our parents doing the<br />
unthinkable by today’s standards. We<br />
were allowed to climb trees, drink out<br />
of the garden hose, ride in the bed of<br />
a pickup truck, and even stay out all<br />
day without any notion of checking in<br />
until the streetlights came on. Societal<br />
norms involved answering with ‟sir”<br />
or ‟ma’am,” giving a firm handshake,<br />
and looking one another in the eye.<br />
Change is inevitable, but the pace of<br />
change is exponentially increasing,<br />
dramatically changing parental norms<br />
and strategies to raise their children.<br />
Shortly after I began my career in<br />
education, ‟helicopter parents” were<br />
identified. <strong>The</strong>se parents insisted<br />
on hovering over every aspect of<br />
their children’s lives, but they did not<br />
necessarily interject themselves into<br />
the action.<br />
A few years later, parents began to<br />
be known as ‟snowplow parents” and<br />
‟lawnmower parents” who monitor<br />
every aspect of their children’s daily<br />
lives and are more aggressive in<br />
plowing away or cutting down any<br />
obstacles that might get in their<br />
children’s way. <strong>The</strong>se parents are the<br />
first to argue any perceived injustice<br />
directed at their children. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
no limits to what will be disputed as<br />
unfair or even labeled as ‟bullying,”<br />
including grades, homework, any<br />
communication that is not positive or<br />
uplifting, friendships, athletic playing<br />
time, birthday party invitations, or<br />
even the lunch menu.<br />
I realize that I could have fallen into<br />
any of those parenting styles for both<br />
of my children. After all, society has<br />
labeled this as ‟good parenting.” It<br />
would have been easier in many<br />
ways to simply solve my children's<br />
problems for them. However, I<br />
discovered that if I hovered or plowed<br />
away the obstacles, I would take<br />
away the gift of adversity that teaches<br />
necessary life skills.<br />
If I were to insulate or remove<br />
some of the hard parts of life,<br />
such as adversity, criticism,<br />
responsibility, work ethic, decisionmaking,<br />
adherence to deadlines,<br />
self-discipline, and interpersonal<br />
relationship skills, would my children<br />
be able to function independently?<br />
Ultimately, we want our children to<br />
be prepared for the world we launch<br />
them into. We want them to be<br />
successful in college, but ultimately,<br />
we want them to be successful in life.<br />
What do employers look for in<br />
employees? How do entrepreneurs<br />
gain success?<br />
4 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
Jon Hopman with his wife Mindy and their children, Haylee and Hunter<br />
<strong>The</strong> skills our children learn beyond<br />
the curriculum found in our Lower,<br />
Middle, and Upper Schools should<br />
prepare them for success in the<br />
future. From my experience in the<br />
business world, beyond a given skill<br />
or knowledge base, the following<br />
personal characteristics are in high<br />
demand: being a problem solver and<br />
solution finder, being self-motivated,<br />
having resilience, possessing a good<br />
work ethic, being coachable, being<br />
loyal, being dependable, having grit,<br />
having a passion, being curious,<br />
being creative, being empathetic,<br />
being determined, being trustworthy,<br />
and having the ability to be<br />
an independent thinker with a<br />
team mindset. This list is not<br />
all-inclusive, but it touches<br />
on some of the significant<br />
characteristics essential to<br />
success in life.<br />
Are you allowing these<br />
essential characteristics to<br />
develop in your child? Can<br />
your son or daughter adapt<br />
and overcome when they<br />
face adversity? Does your<br />
child understand that life<br />
is not always fair? Can they selfadvocate?<br />
Are they compassionate<br />
and empathetic toward others? Are<br />
they willing to grind through adversity,<br />
knowing they will be better for it?<br />
Reflecting on my parenting journey,<br />
I appreciate, more than ever, that my<br />
children were raised and educated in<br />
an environment such as the one we<br />
have at Montverde Academy. It is<br />
so much more than simply an<br />
academic experience.<br />
As a parent, I want my<br />
children to be confident,<br />
grounded, respected, and<br />
capable. Being ‘successful’<br />
is a given, but success is often<br />
defined by the individual.<br />
Mr. Jon Hopman, Head of School<br />
Our students will face life’s<br />
challenges in an environment where<br />
adversity and even failure are lessons<br />
in themselves. As a parent, I want<br />
my children to be challenged in a<br />
nurturing home or school environment<br />
before going to college and beyond.<br />
Going through life’s challenges while<br />
guidance, love, and grace are present<br />
is a healthy experience that can help<br />
build resilience and fortitude for times<br />
when they might not have a support<br />
network in place. <strong>The</strong> ultimate<br />
question we as parents must ask<br />
ourselves is ‟Will my child be able<br />
to fly once they leave the<br />
proverbial nest?ˮ<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 5
By Dr. Caryn Long, Director of Educational Technology and Innovation,<br />
and Mrs. Nichole Smith, Communications Coordinator<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 6
In September of <strong>2023</strong>, Montverde<br />
Academy unveiled its newly renovated<br />
Innovation Center. Since then, each<br />
department has been abuzz with activity<br />
and has provided students with valuable<br />
resources that give them the practical<br />
experience that is vital in today’s<br />
competitive market.<br />
When you step into the Innovation<br />
Center, you will notice the open<br />
space, the shiny new floors, and<br />
plenty of tables and comfy chairs<br />
where students can meet and<br />
collaborate. To the right is the<br />
photography studio and up ahead,<br />
on the other side of the colorful<br />
donor wall and glass doors, is the<br />
technology classroom.<br />
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY<br />
Middle School students have been<br />
using the computer technology space<br />
to design their Innovation Projects.<br />
For these projects, students solve<br />
a challenge that’s proposed by the<br />
FIRST ® LEGO ® League each year.<br />
This year’s challenge is to take<br />
a hobby and elevate it to make it<br />
accessible to anyone and to create<br />
a prototype. With prototypes being a<br />
large component of their competition<br />
points, students wanted to use the<br />
3D technology space to print their<br />
prototypes. “As word is getting out<br />
that we have this kind of technology,<br />
I see more and more students come<br />
to ask if they can use the space to<br />
create something to enhance their<br />
assignment,” said Dr. Caryn Long,<br />
Director of Educational Technology<br />
and Innovation. “Mr. Parets deserves<br />
a lot of credit for that as he gives of<br />
his time outside of class. He’s very<br />
gifted and uses that time effectively.”<br />
Students in computer programming<br />
classes are also learning a wide<br />
variety of programming languages.<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 7
EA SPORTS Gaming at MVA<br />
Sofia Chocho<br />
EA SPORTS GAMING AT MVA<br />
Next to the computer technology<br />
class is the gaming lab that houses<br />
MVA’s brand-new gaming team.<br />
Our team of nine students plays in<br />
a league called Play VS and has<br />
just been ranked in the top eight in<br />
the fall league. This team has also<br />
instituted three days of working out to<br />
develop their core strength; improve<br />
their social, emotional, and physical<br />
health; keep their body posture;<br />
and deal with stress as they learn to<br />
work better as a team, a key 21stcentury<br />
skill. We have a student in the<br />
program this year who is not a part of<br />
the competitive team but is focusing<br />
on drawing art within a game. His<br />
program is tailored toward his artistic<br />
interest in the gaming industry. He’s<br />
currently working on an animation<br />
for the logo of EA SPORTS<br />
Gaming at MVA.<br />
YEARBOOK AND JOURNALISM<br />
Down the hall from the gaming<br />
lab, the space opens up to a large<br />
bright room lined with computers<br />
and bookshelves full of previous<br />
yearbooks. <strong>The</strong> yearbook teacher,<br />
Mrs. Savannah Miller, usually has<br />
music playing while her yearbook<br />
students work hard laying out pages<br />
for the <strong>2023</strong>-<strong>24</strong> yearbook. Last year’s<br />
yearbook went into the Gallery of<br />
Excellence and received a first-class<br />
rating with two Marks of Distinction<br />
8 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong><br />
from the National Scholastic Press<br />
Association. <strong>The</strong> journalism students<br />
are learning how to construct a<br />
journalistic piece, learning what a<br />
proper journalistic article should look<br />
like, and learning about journalism<br />
ethics where they are given various<br />
scenarios and have to decide whether<br />
something is ethical. <strong>The</strong>y’ve learned<br />
how to investigate for their journalistic<br />
pieces, write a proper title, and<br />
use the appropriate format. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
summative assessment is to write<br />
an article to provide them with<br />
practical experience.<br />
TV AND FILM PRODUCTION AND<br />
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
In the TV and Film Production<br />
classes, students have begun<br />
producing MVA Highlights that are<br />
broadcast on the digital boards<br />
located around campus. Some of the<br />
latest reels have included a feature<br />
about Diversity Fest, a student<br />
interview of a kindergartener, and<br />
National Signing Day. Film classes<br />
are currently working on a remake<br />
of the movie “Jumanji.” <strong>The</strong>y’ve built<br />
sets and written scripts, and now<br />
they’re filming and editing. Mr. Torres<br />
has received numerous valuable<br />
donations from the MVA community,<br />
including props, paint, set flats, etc.,<br />
to elevate what his students do. <strong>The</strong><br />
Digital Photography students are<br />
learning foundational skills in levelone<br />
classes, such as composing<br />
proper framing and lighting to<br />
create great photos and applying<br />
those skills to different photography<br />
styles: photojournalism, product<br />
photography, macro photography, and<br />
portrait photography. <strong>The</strong>ir pictures<br />
are published in the school yearbook,<br />
so by the time they leave MVA, they<br />
are published photographers who<br />
receive practical experience and<br />
credit for their photos.<br />
LEGO ® LEAGUE AND<br />
VEX ® ROBOTICS<br />
Both robotics teams are deep<br />
into the competition season. <strong>The</strong><br />
Middle School team participated in<br />
their first scrimmage for the year<br />
on November 4 and ranked in the<br />
top scorers in both robot runs and<br />
judging presentations. <strong>The</strong>y traveled<br />
to Orlando for their first prequalifier<br />
on December 2. (For more details<br />
about their scrimmage, see page<br />
10.) Upper School students brought<br />
back two recognitions from their first<br />
competition for robot design and<br />
sportsmanship. <strong>The</strong>y will take their
top two teams to Auburn University in<br />
January for a VEX ® Signature event.<br />
“Robotics is student led,” said Dr.<br />
Long. “Instructors provide support,<br />
but students build the programming<br />
and deliver the presentations. We<br />
provide resources and answer<br />
questions, but credit for their success<br />
is squarely on their shoulders. That’s<br />
one of the things that makes our<br />
program the strongest.”<br />
MAKERSPACES AND<br />
ENGINEERING<br />
Lower School classes schedule time<br />
in the Lower School Makerspace<br />
to build projects that enrich their<br />
curriculum with materials appropriate<br />
for their age groups. Middle and<br />
Upper School students have access<br />
to tools and materials that are more<br />
sophisticated, such as power tools<br />
and sewing machines, and they have<br />
access to other materials that allow<br />
them to express their learning in more<br />
complex ways.<br />
Middle and Upper School engineering<br />
adopted a curriculum called Project<br />
Lead the Way, a nationally renowned<br />
program that builds engineering<br />
and design skills through specially<br />
designed, hands-on activities.<br />
Students have been working with<br />
breadboards in their electrical<br />
engineering class, and they have<br />
been building miniature houses in<br />
their civil engineering class and<br />
trebuchets in their engineering design<br />
class. We are excited about the<br />
aeronautical engineering class that<br />
will be offered to students this spring.<br />
“As word gets out about the<br />
Innovation Center’s programs, it’s<br />
exciting to me to see it populated<br />
with students of all ages and their<br />
educators,” said Dr. Long. “<strong>The</strong><br />
creative use of the materials and<br />
technology that we have within<br />
the classrooms makes Montverde<br />
Academy’s Innovation Center<br />
a premier part of our students’<br />
academic development.”<br />
Dr. Caryn Long and Robotics Student, Ronald Bushner<br />
TV and Film Production<br />
“<br />
As word is getting out that we have this kind of technology,<br />
I see more and more students come to ask if they can use the<br />
space to create something to enhance their assignment.<br />
”<br />
- Dr. Caryn Long<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 9
Ella Drawdy, Jon Pagano, Andrew Kim, and Je'siah Howard<br />
MIDDLE SCHOOL<br />
By Mrs. Nichole Smith, Communications Coordinator<br />
On Saturday, November 4, MVA hosted the Eagle Lego Robotics Scrimmage for 17 middle school<br />
robotics teams across Central Florida, including three MVA middle school teams—#Grandma,<br />
#Grandpa, and #Uncle. <strong>The</strong> competition consisted of two parts: 1) the robot run where the students<br />
must accomplish missions with their self-built robots, and 2) a conversation with judges about their<br />
core values, innovation project, and how they built and programmed their robots.<br />
10 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
This year’s theme for the competition<br />
is called Master Piece. Competitors<br />
had a practice run and three chances<br />
to get a high score, the highest of<br />
those three being taken during the<br />
robot run challenge. <strong>The</strong> other 75<br />
percent of their score came from<br />
judging interviews where they were<br />
asked about how they built and<br />
programmed their robot and how<br />
they incorporated the FIRST ® LEGO ®<br />
core values of discovery, innovation,<br />
impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun.<br />
For their innovation project this<br />
year, they had to select a hobby<br />
and elevate that hobby with a piece<br />
of technology and art. One of our<br />
teams is trying to make basketball<br />
accessible to the blind. <strong>The</strong> teams<br />
were inspired by a young lady with<br />
visual impairment whose coach would<br />
stand behind the goal and hit the<br />
backboard so she could hear where<br />
it was located, and she won the game<br />
for her team. Inspired by this story,<br />
Team #Grandma created different<br />
ways for those with limited vision to<br />
play the game.<br />
“We’re trying to incorporate our<br />
design into a real model,” said Eisha<br />
Cheema, an eighth-grade student on<br />
Team #Grandma. “I did robotics last<br />
year, and it was interesting to give<br />
new robotics students a visual of<br />
robotics as a whole. When we were in<br />
competition, we tried to include them<br />
in running missions, and we tried to<br />
show them all the different facets of<br />
robotics. It was really exciting having<br />
an event at Montverde Academy for<br />
robotics. It was very competitive,<br />
which added more pressure to the<br />
overall experience.”<br />
Our three teams represented the<br />
school very well on Saturday. Team<br />
#Uncle had the second-highest<br />
score in the robot runs. “At first,<br />
we struggled with the robot coding<br />
because our code was defective,<br />
and we had to figure out a way<br />
to gain more points,” said Jesiah<br />
Howard, an eighth-grade student<br />
on Team #Uncle. “During the robot<br />
runs, we taught our teammates<br />
how to complete missions, which<br />
demonstrated our core value of<br />
gracious professionalism. Doing so<br />
helped us succeed in the end and<br />
gain friendships not only with our<br />
teammates but also with teams from<br />
other schools, enabling both our<br />
teams to succeed.”<br />
Team #Grandma had the highest<br />
score in the judging rooms, and Team<br />
#Grandpa also had a high score<br />
in the judging rooms. “<strong>The</strong> judging<br />
rooms were where we presented<br />
our innovation projects to judges,”<br />
said Dash Green, an eighth-grade<br />
student on Team #Grandpa. “It was<br />
interactive and fun getting to talk to<br />
the judges because some of them<br />
had work experience in the field that<br />
our innovation was related to. <strong>The</strong><br />
racing industry doesn’t have access<br />
for those who don’t have limbs to<br />
drive a racecar. Most of my team was<br />
brand new, but over time we came<br />
together, and now we are pretty good<br />
friends.”<br />
Dr. Long, MVA’s Director of<br />
Educational Technology and<br />
Innovation who organized the event,<br />
said, “With MVA being the only school<br />
in Lake County that hosts this<br />
event, it’s an amazing opportunity<br />
to showcase our school and the<br />
students that work so hard to achieve<br />
top honors.”<br />
Alexis Eastham and Ella Drawdy<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2023</strong> 11
Seniors Miguel Barbosa (pictured above) and Payut Asawasriworanant (lower right)<br />
RACING TO THE FINISH LINE<br />
<strong>The</strong> class of 20<strong>24</strong> kicked off senior year with a two-day Senior Retreat in<br />
September. <strong>The</strong> event was a combination of helpful seminars to prepare<br />
seniors for the future and fun events, including senior T-shirt design, prom<br />
theme voting, a scavenger hunt around campus, and a trip to a local water<br />
park at the end of the first day. <strong>The</strong> highlight of the event every year is the<br />
build-a-bike project that closes out the retreat on Friday.<br />
<strong>The</strong> seniors separate into groups where they are given children's bicycles<br />
that are in pieces that need to be assembled. <strong>The</strong> teams must work<br />
together to get their bikes built in a short time and then prepare for the race.<br />
Each team chooses one member to ride the much-too-small children's bike<br />
in the race. At the end of the event, each bike is donated to the Shop with a<br />
Cop program of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.<br />
MIDDLE SCHOOL PENNY WARS<br />
For the Middle School Leadership and Service project this<br />
past quarter, eighth-grade students Meera Patel and Sanvhi<br />
Gandhi held a fundraiser, Penny Wars, from October 23–27,<br />
and raised $797 for the local nonprofit Give Kids the World.<br />
Thade Judy and Maria Neves<br />
12 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
LOWER SCHOOL YEARBOOK COVER<br />
Sahana Penmetsa<br />
Congratulations to fifth grader Sahana Penmetsa on winning<br />
this year’s Lower School Yearbook Cover Art Contest!<br />
Students in Ms. Lori Pollock’s art class were commissioned<br />
to paint a picture in alignment with the <strong>2023</strong>-<strong>24</strong> yearbook<br />
theme: “Growing into Greatness.ˮ Sahana's beautiful artwork<br />
will be featured on the front cover for all to enjoy!<br />
THANKSGIVING FEAST<br />
Lower School students gathered together with their families<br />
the week before Thanksgiving to enjoy a feast. Everyone had<br />
a great time sharing smiles and conversation over a delicious<br />
meal, prepared by the MVA Dining Hall staff, and reflecting<br />
on the many things we have to be thankful for.<br />
Aditi Rathore and her mom, Urjita Rathore<br />
BOARDERSʼ NIGHT IN: Country Western Style<br />
By Mrs. Kirstin Coffman, Director of Residential Life<br />
Our boarding students strapped on<br />
their boots and put on their best hat to<br />
head over to our watering hole<br />
(aka the Dining Hall) to enjoy<br />
a cowboy-sized meal together.<br />
Afterwards, we all gathered in<br />
Lindor Hall to enjoy some games,<br />
such as donuts on a string, a horse<br />
races, corn hole, bottle flipping,<br />
balloon popping, and water pouring<br />
challenges. Some students braved<br />
the karaoke machine and sang to<br />
the crowd. We ended the night with<br />
our <strong>The</strong>atre Conservatory students<br />
teaching us how to line dance.<br />
“Planning our ‘country western’<br />
themed night for the boarders was<br />
a lot of fun!” said Mrs. Natasja<br />
Eksteen, Administrative<br />
Assistant to the Dean of<br />
Students for Residential<br />
Life. “Having dinner together<br />
as a boarding family and<br />
then playing various games<br />
in order to bond and get<br />
to know each other better<br />
was the main goal. To see<br />
the boarders relax, laugh,<br />
and dance was really<br />
heartwarming. Some even<br />
learned a new skill. Great<br />
fun was had by all!”<br />
Boarders' Night In<br />
THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2023</strong> 13<br />
Mr. Walter Eksteen, Mrs. Kirstin Coffman, Mrs. Natasja Eksteen, and Mrs. Margaret Price
<strong>The</strong> annual Lower School Costume Parade is a favorite event<br />
across campus. Parents, teachers, Upper and Middle school<br />
students, faculty, and staff line the loop at the center of campus<br />
in anticipation. When the parade starts, each Lower School class,<br />
Pre-K3 through fifth grade, makes their way around the loop led<br />
by their teachers. Everyone has a great time, and even the deans<br />
join in on the costume fun!<br />
1<br />
1. Maheeba Minhas, Mrs. Bartley, Henrik Paulsen, and Ziliana Hinds<br />
2. Victoria Jean-Marius, Olivia Coughenour, and Isabell Wojnowski<br />
3. Mrs. Schield’s 4th Grade Class<br />
4. Mrs. Cummings, Meadow Rubio, and Cole McCoy<br />
5. Ms. Shackelford, Mrs. Varnado, and Dr. Robinson<br />
6. Anika Pitolwala<br />
7. Audrey Hogan, Dan Engel, Ava Taylor, and Payson Bedard<br />
8. Mrs. Beckford, Alex de Boer, Dax Minervini, and Sebastian Boccio<br />
9. Gabriel Ozols-Szoke<br />
10. Tess Zegan<br />
2<br />
3<br />
14 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
5<br />
6<br />
4<br />
7<br />
8 9 10<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 15
<strong>The</strong> Dragon Dance<br />
By Mrs. Margaret Price<br />
Assistant Dean of Students for Multiculturalism, Leadership, and Student Programs<br />
Anticipation, excitement, pride, respect, curiosity,<br />
family, community, belonging, peace – those things<br />
that we hope for, but cannot see – never fail to fill the<br />
Bell <strong>Tower</strong> Loop during Diversity Fest.<br />
How blessed I am to have the opportunity to work with a great<br />
planning committee, parents, students, and staff during this time of<br />
year. However, as much as we plan, the magic happens only when the<br />
families arrive on our beautiful campus. Families bring the laughter, the<br />
applause, and the joy. <strong>The</strong>re were many times during the event that a<br />
smile came to my face. I recall the screams from the crowd when the<br />
Phoebe Samba Dancers surprised us with their version of "Y.M.C.A."<br />
and the "Macarena." I thought about how music has the ability to<br />
transcend culture and time. It is amazing how people from diverse<br />
backgrounds can connect through flags, food, music, and dancing.<br />
My hope is that seeds are planted for new friendships, opportunities<br />
for growth, and principles for how we should treat each other.<br />
Shivani Joshi Patel and daughter Ariana Patel<br />
MVA, we are home here.<br />
Jemah Coffman and Edith Smith<br />
16 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
Students Elena Areinamo, Camilla Areinamo, Maelee Johnson, Mia Penton, and Jesus Montenegro representing Venezuela<br />
Booth representing the Country of Haiti Orlando Parai team Flamenco dancers<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 17
18 THE TOWER | SUMMER <strong>2023</strong>
By Mrs. Nichole Smith, Communications Coordinator<br />
Shafic and Ramona El Bacha joined the Montverde<br />
Academy community in 2016 when they enrolled<br />
their first child, Jason, in Pre-K3. Now both their<br />
son and daughter, Kyra, attend MVA as they wanted their<br />
children to be a part of a close-knit school community that<br />
would be on the same campus all the way from preschool<br />
until high school graduation.<br />
One of the things that Mr. El Bacha has been impressed<br />
by is the Academy’s adherence to its mission statement.<br />
“Every word of the mission statement is put into action,”<br />
said Mr. El Bacha, “from the Diversity Fest to building<br />
character.” What drew the El Bachas initially to the<br />
Academy was its commitment to diversity and fostering a<br />
strong sense of community.<br />
“We cannot deny that we like the parents here,” said Mrs.<br />
El Bacha. “We send our kids here not just for the school,<br />
but also for the kids they go to school with. We also share<br />
similar values with the other parents here in how we want<br />
our kids to be raised. Despite our diversity, we all share<br />
certain values.”<br />
After becoming a part of that community, they became<br />
further impressed by Montverde Academy’s emphasis on<br />
innovation, creativity, and character-building; and they<br />
praised Ms. Shackelford, the Dean of the Lower School,<br />
for defining the qualities of good character in every<br />
Assembly. She and the teachers at the Academy have<br />
played a pivotal role in the development of their children’s<br />
character and academic success.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Academy’s diverse and enriching extracurricular<br />
activities have allowed their children to flourish creatively.<br />
Not only have they had the opportunity to explore a<br />
variety of sports, such as swimming, soccer, softball, and<br />
basketball, but they have both been able to nourish their<br />
budding interest in music. When the El Bachas first came<br />
to Montverde Academy, they were introduced to the Arts<br />
Alliance and witnessed its support of art, theatre,<br />
and music.<br />
Throughout his life, Jason has played various instruments,<br />
such as the cello, piano, vocals, saxophone, and guitar,<br />
while Kyra has immersed herself in learning the drums,<br />
guitar, piano, and flute. Mr. Hand, who was Jason’s fourthgrade<br />
teacher and mentor, even asked Jason to play the<br />
saxophone during recess. And Mrs. Cunningham, the<br />
Lower School Technology & <strong>The</strong>atre Arts teacher, has<br />
been a great source of encouragement for both Jason and<br />
Kyra. “She encourages them,” said Mrs. El Bacha. “If they<br />
have an idea, she listens to them and helps them. She’s<br />
the teacher that you feel brings out the best in your kids.”<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y’re building themselves at Montverde Academy, I<br />
think,” continued Mrs. El Bacha. “If you want a balance<br />
between academics and extracurricular, if you want a<br />
good CV for your kids for college, if you want them to<br />
be happy in the community, have diversity from Pre-K3<br />
through senior year, all in one place, you’ll find all of this at<br />
Montverde Academy.”<br />
“ We send our kids here not just<br />
for the school, but for the kids<br />
they go to school with.”<br />
– Ramona El Bacha<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 19
An Enrollment Management<br />
Department Spotlight<br />
By Dr. David Rath, Associate Head of School and Dean of Admissions<br />
As many of you know, our Montverde Academy mascot is Monty the Eagle. This academic year, the<br />
Enrollment Management Office has decided to take Monty along with us during our travels, and he<br />
has been visible in our social media working hard with us at many of our destinations around the<br />
globe. In short, Monty’s wings are tired, and he is looking forward to the semester break to unwind<br />
and recharge.<br />
Late summer of <strong>2023</strong>, Monty<br />
commenced his travel with a trip to<br />
Panama to meet with current parents<br />
and a host of prospective families.<br />
Monty learned that all of his trips<br />
would be very different in an effort<br />
to help us find mission appropriate<br />
students to ensure we are true to<br />
an important part of our mission<br />
statement: “...developing character in<br />
a nurturing and diverse community.”<br />
How do our trips differ from one to<br />
the next? Here are a few examples<br />
of the types of events that Monty<br />
has attended: <strong>The</strong> aforementioned<br />
Panama trip is one type where we<br />
as an Enrollment Management team<br />
create on our own agenda, utilizing<br />
current parents to help us find<br />
prospective families for the following<br />
academic year. Current parents are<br />
perhaps our number one source for<br />
marketing effectively. A second trip<br />
might be to a boarding school fair in a<br />
particular destination (or in a multi-city<br />
roadshow) in which one of our trusted<br />
agents (over 150 active agents<br />
worldwide) puts together meetings<br />
with interested families. <strong>The</strong>se fairs or<br />
roadshows could be large in number<br />
of attendees, and multiple schools<br />
could also be joining us on the trip,<br />
which means we are competing for<br />
<strong>The</strong> Enrollment Management Team<br />
Mrs. Alba Santiago, Ms. Callie Byron, Dr. Dave Rath,<br />
Mrs. Jill Clapper, and Mrs. Yanitza Irizarry-Rivera.<br />
20 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
UNITED<br />
KINGDOM<br />
FINLAND<br />
GERMANY<br />
CHINA<br />
UNITED<br />
STATES<br />
PORTUGAL<br />
CZECH REPUBLIC<br />
JAPAN<br />
BERMUDA<br />
MOROCCO<br />
SAUDI ARABIA<br />
INDIA<br />
SOUTH<br />
KOREA<br />
GRAND CAYMAN<br />
THAILAND<br />
VIETNAM<br />
PANAMA<br />
BRAZIL<br />
the same students in attendance.<br />
Conversely, a limited number of<br />
schools may be invited to participate,<br />
which creates a more boutique<br />
experience and allows us more time<br />
with individual family appointments<br />
to share information in greater detail<br />
about Montverde Academy.<br />
Two examples highlighting the<br />
differences between the two fairs<br />
would be a recent trip to Saudi<br />
Arabia at the ARAMCO schools’ fair<br />
in which 83 boarding schools were<br />
in attendance along with hundreds<br />
of ARAMCO school families versus<br />
a weekend fair in China in which<br />
three schools and a small number<br />
of families attended. Each type<br />
of fair requires a different type of<br />
presentation, from a quick elevator<br />
speech to pique a family’s interest to<br />
a 30-minute detailed presentation to<br />
hit the major unique factors available<br />
at Montverde Academy. <strong>The</strong> key is to<br />
quickly ascertain a student’s interests<br />
and then focus the presentation<br />
towards those interests. Monty is<br />
nimble, however, and can quickly<br />
adjust. In addition to prospective<br />
student fairs, we also have agentonly<br />
fairs in which Monty and the<br />
Enrollment Management team will<br />
attend a two-day event on a weekend<br />
and meet with current agents who<br />
want to learn more about Montverde<br />
Academy and then in turn sell a<br />
family as to the value of our program<br />
to try to convince them to apply to our<br />
school. <strong>The</strong>se agents are paramount<br />
in helping us hit our annual target of<br />
approximately 260 boarding students<br />
each year.<br />
So why are Monty’s wings worn out?<br />
Thus far in the first semester, he has<br />
visited Panama, Brazil, Vietnam,<br />
China (twice), Thailand, Prague,<br />
Bratislava, Bermuda, London,<br />
Morocco, India, Saudi Arabia,<br />
Portugal, Germany, Grand Cayman,<br />
South Korea, Japan, and Finland. As<br />
a team, we have traveled many miles<br />
to enhance the Montverde Academy<br />
brand and mission, and Monty has<br />
been with us every step of the way!<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 21
Student Spotlights were written by Mrs. Nichole Smith, Communications Coordinator<br />
GABRIEL OZOLS-SZOKE<br />
Gabriel Ozols-Szoke, a fifth-grade<br />
student at Montverde Academy,<br />
has been attending MVA since his<br />
kindergarten<br />
year.<br />
22 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong><br />
Gabriel has played soccer and a little<br />
football, but currently, he loves to<br />
play basketball and plans to follow<br />
in his older brother’s footsteps and<br />
join CBD when he enters the Middle<br />
School next year.<br />
In addition to basketball, Gabriel<br />
has a keen interest in computer<br />
technology. Fifth-grade students have<br />
the opportunity to take a computer<br />
technology course where they learn<br />
computer coding and other valuable<br />
computer-based skills. He’s currently<br />
working on designing a website and<br />
is excited about learning how to<br />
use Canva very soon. He had much<br />
success creating stories for the<br />
games he designed, and he looks<br />
forward to utilizing MVA’s newly<br />
renovated Innovation Center where<br />
he hopes to explore his interest in<br />
computers even further.<br />
“When it comes to computers,<br />
Gabriel has the ability to see<br />
how the logical progression of<br />
a process can lead to multiple<br />
outcomes,” said Ms. Cyndi<br />
Cunningham, the Lower School<br />
Technology & <strong>The</strong>atre teacher.<br />
“That’s a huge advantage in<br />
technology. He can also write very<br />
creative narratives and storylines<br />
for his games and projects,<br />
making them not only thoughtful<br />
but fun for everyone.” Gabriel<br />
is grateful to Mr. Steve Hand for<br />
sparking his interest in social<br />
studies and to<br />
Mrs. Saliesha Meder for cultivating<br />
in him a love for reading. In Mr.<br />
Hand’s class, students completed<br />
a document-based question (DBQ)<br />
on St. Augustine. “We also went to<br />
St. Augustine, which I enjoyed, and<br />
that enhanced my interest in social<br />
studies,” said Gabriel. In Mrs. Meder’s<br />
class, he felt he was able to take his<br />
interest in reading to the next level<br />
in the Accelerated Reader program<br />
where students read AR books of<br />
their choice, take quizzes on them,<br />
and accumulate points. “Someone<br />
said they had 1.5 points higher<br />
than I did,” said Gabriel, “so I started<br />
reading like crazy so I could<br />
beat them.”<br />
He hopes one day to shoot for the<br />
NBA or go the business route and<br />
be a CFO of a company. His parents<br />
have been his greatest source of<br />
inspiration. “My dad was an engineer<br />
who went into business and started<br />
his own company, and my mom is<br />
very hardworking,” Gabriel said. No<br />
matter where he goes in life, Gabriel’s<br />
competitive nature, his knack for<br />
storytelling, and his interest in<br />
computers will certainly serve<br />
him well.<br />
He can write very creative<br />
narratives and storylines for<br />
his games and projects, making<br />
them not only thoughtful but fun<br />
for everyone.<br />
- Ms. Cyndi Cunningham,<br />
Lower School Technology Teacher
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS<br />
SANVHI GANDHI<br />
Sanvhi Gandhi, an eighth-grade student at Montverde Academy, moved here from New Jersey with her<br />
family at the beginning of her sixth-grade year. “My dad chose this school for me and my brother,” said<br />
Sanvhi. “As soon as I stepped on the campus, I loved the openness of it all. My former school in New<br />
Jersey was a lot smaller, so seeing the huge campus was a really big surprise. And my older brother liked<br />
that it was a college preparatory school.”<br />
Her first year at MVA, she focused<br />
primarily on her academics as she<br />
transitioned to her new home and<br />
school. During that time, she was<br />
surprised to discover a newfound<br />
interest in making study guides for<br />
her classmates. Leadership qualities<br />
were certainly burgeoning within her,<br />
but as a self-described introvert, she<br />
was terrified of putting herself out<br />
there. In her fine arts class, however,<br />
she developed a love for performing in<br />
theatre, which would set the foundation<br />
for her leadership and public speaking<br />
roles in the coming years. She also<br />
discovered her love for photojournalism,<br />
and her photos were featured in that<br />
year’s MVA 2021-22 poster.<br />
In seventh grade, she was elected SGA<br />
Historian and was inducted into the<br />
National Junior Honor Society (NJHS).<br />
She was also accepted to the Honor<br />
Council. Her love for theatre grew<br />
that year when she performed in “<strong>The</strong><br />
Nephew/Son’s Revenge,” an original<br />
stage play written and directed by Mr.<br />
Adrian Wright-Ahern, the Middle School<br />
<strong>The</strong>atre Director. Later that year, she<br />
acted in the musical “Willy Wonka.”<br />
“Being able to take part in theatre was<br />
a wonderful opportunity that I will never<br />
forget,ˮ said Sanvhi. “<strong>The</strong> experience of<br />
going out on stage and performing was<br />
amazing, and I can’t wait to do it again<br />
this year!” It’s no wonder she received<br />
the All-Around Seventh Grader Award at<br />
the end of the school year.<br />
This year, Sanvhi is an SGA<br />
Representative. In that role, she<br />
represents her advisory in the weekly<br />
Friday meetings and serves as a voice<br />
for other students Alexander and Mounsey their troubles.<br />
She was also elected Honor Council<br />
President. “This is only the second<br />
year that the Middle School has had<br />
an Honor Council. As President this<br />
year, I want to make the Honor Council<br />
even more involved with the school<br />
and help students.” Sanvhi was elected<br />
Vice President of NJHS and Secretary<br />
of the Builders Club this year, and she<br />
helps plan events for the Middle School.<br />
She is also a part of the Yearbook Club<br />
where she gets to explore her creative<br />
side by taking photos and writing.<br />
She even reliably provides stories<br />
and photos for MVA’s marketing and<br />
communications department<br />
on occasion.<br />
One of her favorite classes this year<br />
is Elements of Engineering Design. “I<br />
love learning about different buildings<br />
and the engineering process,” said<br />
Sanvhi. As an avid builder and<br />
crafter, she hopes to follow in her<br />
mother’s engineering footsteps and<br />
become an architectural engineer.<br />
“Architecture would be a good<br />
way to show my creative side and<br />
also to apply my math skills.” As<br />
an architect, she wants to create<br />
designs that use environmentally<br />
friendly materials.<br />
She’s grateful for the teachers in<br />
the Middle School who have helped<br />
her to see the bigger picture. “Mr.<br />
Narducci teaches us not only about<br />
history but also about life lessons<br />
that we need to learn. Ms. Williams<br />
and Mrs. Parets are very helpful with<br />
a lot of things. I think the teachers<br />
here are a big part of helping us<br />
become the people we want to be.<br />
And I really appreciate the way<br />
Mr. Urquhart and Mrs. Fracker guide<br />
me toward doing something and then<br />
give me feedback on it. <strong>The</strong>y trust<br />
us with a lot, which shows that they<br />
respect us.”<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 23
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS<br />
BRIANNA MONAHAN<br />
Brianna Monahan enrolled at Montverde Academy in 2009 for Pre-K3. Her parents wanted their daughter<br />
to have an early start on the best academic opportunities available. Now a senior at MVA, she has<br />
developed into a talented violinist, an accomplished swimmer, and a person who has a heart for<br />
community service.<br />
While in the Lower School, Brianna<br />
joined K-Kids, an organization that<br />
helps elementary-aged students<br />
discover their passion for service and<br />
leadership, a decision that would ignite<br />
a lifelong passion for serving. When<br />
Brianna was in the fourth grade, she<br />
began swimming competitively at the<br />
National Training Center where she<br />
would continue her training for the next<br />
three years. And at the end of that same<br />
year, she won the Dean’s Award.<br />
When Brianna transitioned to the Middle<br />
School and her classes became more<br />
rigorous, she knew the road ahead<br />
of her would be a challenging one.<br />
But that did not stop her from pouring<br />
herself into her volunteering efforts,<br />
nor did it stop her from pushing herself<br />
to be a great musician and studentathlete.<br />
In the sixth grade, she joined<br />
the Builders Club and began playing the<br />
violin for MVA’s Advanced Orchestra,<br />
which she would continue through<br />
her junior year. In the seventh grade,<br />
she joined the school swim team and<br />
is still a part of that team today. She<br />
also joined the National Junior Honor<br />
Society during that year and became<br />
the NJHS President the following year.<br />
She even won the Dean’s Award<br />
once again at the end of her<br />
eighth-grade year.<br />
During her sophomore year, Brianna<br />
began volunteering for Eight Waves,<br />
a local nonprofit that provides<br />
resources for those in under-resourced<br />
communities. Her friend Tatiana Pinto,<br />
a current senior, founded a hygiene<br />
branch for Eight Waves and asked<br />
Brianna to join her as co-director.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y have held two hygiene drives on<br />
campus and plan to hold the next one<br />
in the spring.<br />
Brianna continued playing the<br />
violin for the Advanced<br />
Orchestra until her<br />
junior year. “Playing<br />
the violin is similar<br />
to swimming when<br />
it comes to how<br />
much work you put<br />
into it,” said Brianna.<br />
“When you practice<br />
your violin, you see the<br />
results.” That mindset<br />
helped her to win a<br />
sportsmanship award<br />
and the most improved<br />
award for swimming. She<br />
attributes her success to<br />
her own dedication and<br />
to the help of her<br />
swimming coach,<br />
Coach Gui.<br />
“Even when<br />
I feel like I’m<br />
maxed out or I don’t have anything left,”<br />
Brianna said, “he always says, ‘Come<br />
on. You can do more.’” She has also<br />
been grateful for the cultural diversity of<br />
the swim team. Most of her teammates<br />
have been from Brazil, which has<br />
exposed her to Brazilian culture and to<br />
different perspectives. She has even<br />
learned a little Portuguese! In addition<br />
to her extracurricular successes,<br />
Brianna has also achieved a number<br />
of academic successes. She is a<br />
member of the STEM Student Area<br />
Concentration program for biomedicine<br />
at MVA. She is also a Distinguished<br />
Scholar and an AP Scholar with<br />
Distinction.<br />
She is inspired by her mother’s<br />
remarkable work ethic and by her dad<br />
who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and<br />
used his G.I. bill to pay for college. “It’s<br />
really difficult sometimes to balance<br />
the number of things that I do,” said<br />
Brianna, “and my parents have always<br />
been there to tell me that if I put in<br />
the work and learn how to manage<br />
my time, I will be successful.” She is<br />
also inspired by her classmate Emily<br />
Santos for her passion and dedication<br />
to swimming; by Mrs. Dana Cook, her<br />
Pre-K3 teacher who still checks in on<br />
her to this day; and by Mrs. Emilie<br />
Fracker, her second-grade teacher<br />
who has always provided her with<br />
support. During her childhood, Brianna<br />
spent much time at her abuela’s house<br />
where she would help take care of her<br />
younger siblings. “It made me into a<br />
very nurturing person, which made me<br />
want to pursue medicine,” said Brianna.<br />
“I enjoy being with kids and helping kids<br />
in any way that I can.” Wherever life<br />
takes her, Brianna will certainly carry<br />
with her a determination to succeed and<br />
a passion for helping others in need.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS<br />
JAYVIAN GREENE<br />
Jayvian Greene, a senior at Montverde Academy, discovered his passion for track and field at<br />
the age of seven, inspired by his sister’s footsteps. “I was always the little brother to follow<br />
behind her,” said Jayvian. “When I finally got to my first meet, I felt a spark inside me.”<br />
He went on to run in the Junior<br />
Olympics when he was in middle<br />
school, which helped to solidify his love<br />
for track. When he entered high school,<br />
he began looking for schools that had<br />
a strong track program. What attracted<br />
Jayvian to Montverde Academy was not<br />
only its renowned track team but also its<br />
high academic standards, a place that<br />
would provide him with a well-rounded<br />
education.<br />
Jayvian knew about Coach Gerald<br />
Phiri, MVA’s track and field coach, and<br />
his reputation for developing strong<br />
athletes. And after enrolling in MVA in<br />
the fall of 2022 and joining the track<br />
and field team, Jayvian soon saw that<br />
Coach Phiri would help him to develop<br />
as an athlete, as well. “When I got<br />
here, I was running fast, but I feel like<br />
I wasn’t running at my full potential,”<br />
said Jayvian. “Coach Phiri got to know<br />
who I was as a person. I feel like that<br />
affects how you run. Before I came to<br />
this school, I was running 49 or 50,<br />
but Coach Phiri got me down to a 46,<br />
which is honestly amazing because I<br />
didn’t think I was going to run it.” He<br />
also praises his teammates. “You need<br />
to have the team in order to be the best<br />
person that you can be,” said Jayvian.<br />
He recalls a time when his teammates<br />
formed a circle around him and cheered<br />
him on to celebrate a victory, and he is<br />
especially grateful that they are there to<br />
lift him up when he doesn’t do his best.<br />
Jayvian enjoys acting in theatre<br />
productions, and he is also a longtime<br />
musician. Both theatre and music have<br />
helped him deal with the anxieties<br />
associated with being a dedicated<br />
athlete. “<strong>The</strong>atre helps bring a certain<br />
presence to the person,” said Jayvian.<br />
“It helped a lot with my anxiety and<br />
nervousness because if you’re running<br />
in front of people, you’re acting in front<br />
of people.” Jayvian grew up playing<br />
the French horn, the trumpet, and the<br />
saxophone. “Music is a part of who<br />
I am and who I think I want to be in<br />
the future,” said Jayvian. “Track and<br />
field can be stressful. Music gives me<br />
something that I can lean back on to<br />
help me focus or calm down. When my<br />
nerves are going, a song can help me<br />
get out of that and get ready to run.”<br />
Jayvian is also a leader of Fellowship<br />
of Christian Athletes.<br />
“I like helping people get closer<br />
to God, and I think God is a<br />
big part of who I am as<br />
a person.”<br />
After he graduates,<br />
Jayvian plans to<br />
run collegiately and<br />
major in physical<br />
therapy or nursing.<br />
He feels that<br />
Montverde Academy<br />
has provided a<br />
strong foundation<br />
for that path, not<br />
only with track but<br />
also with the wide<br />
array of science<br />
classes available.<br />
Jayvian has made<br />
a strong connection<br />
with his teachers at<br />
MVA and praises<br />
Dr. Michelle<br />
Sherwin, his<br />
English teacher,<br />
for her patience<br />
and kindness,<br />
and Ms. Courtney<br />
Richardson, his<br />
AP psychology<br />
teacher, for<br />
effectively<br />
teaching him<br />
about human behavior and the way<br />
people think. After college, he hopes<br />
to run in the Olympics. “I plan to keep<br />
running as long as I can,” said Jayvian,<br />
“as long as my body allows me to.”<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 25
By Mr. Michael Damon, Sports Information Manager<br />
Montverde Academy athletics dominated the sports scene this fall with five out<br />
of its seven varsity sports winning the Citrus League Championship while the<br />
boys and girls swim teams captured championships at the FHSAA District<br />
and Regional levels.<br />
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL<br />
• Ten wins of the season<br />
• Fourth-place finish in FHSAA Class 3A District 4 standings<br />
• Advanced into the silver bracket of the Bishop Moore<br />
Swing for the Cure tournament.<br />
BOYS GOLF<br />
• Citrus League Champions<br />
• Lake County Cup Champions<br />
• 6-2-2 overall record<br />
GIRLS GOLF<br />
• 2-1 overall record in dual meets<br />
• Knights Invitational Champions<br />
• Lake County Cup Champions<br />
• FHSAA Regional Qualifiers<br />
• Team member Victoria Renzi qualified for<br />
State Championship Meet as an individual.<br />
Otto Barroso<br />
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY<br />
• Citrus League Champions<br />
• Eagle Invitational Champions<br />
• FHSAA Regional and State qualifiers<br />
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY<br />
• Citrus League Champions<br />
• FHSAA Regional and State qualifiers<br />
BOYS SWIMMING<br />
• 5-0 record in dual meets<br />
• Citrus League Champions<br />
• FHSAA District Champions<br />
• FHSAA Regional Champions<br />
• Sixth Place at FHSAA State Championship meet<br />
GIRLS SWIMMING<br />
• 5-0 record in dual meets<br />
• Citrus League Champions<br />
• FHSAA District Champions<br />
• FHSAA Regional Champions<br />
• Fifth Place at FHSAA State Championship meet<br />
• Team member Emily Santos won state champion in 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.44).<br />
• Second Place at FSPA Invitational<br />
26 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong><br />
Girls Cross Country
Regina Torres<br />
Victoria Renzi<br />
Lyla McMillen<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 27<br />
Isabella Johnson Leo Kim Salvatore Scelfo
SPORTS FEATURE<br />
MVA Swim Champion<br />
By Mr. Michael Damon, Sports Information Manager<br />
Montverde Academy girls swim team<br />
member Emily Santos closed out<br />
a memorable swimming career at<br />
Montverde Academy, capped by her<br />
win at the Florida High School Athletic<br />
Association (FHSAA) Class 1A state<br />
championship in Ocala on Saturday,<br />
November 4.<br />
She captured gold in the 100-yard<br />
breaststroke at the state’s top meet in<br />
a personal best time of 1:01.44, .04<br />
faster than her previous personal<br />
best that she established when<br />
winning the FHSAA Class<br />
1A District 4 championship<br />
in Avon Park just a few<br />
weeks earlier.<br />
“Winning the state<br />
championship was<br />
amazing,” Santos<br />
said. “I was racing<br />
with some people<br />
I knew, and I really<br />
respect them, so it<br />
was a fun experience<br />
and a happy moment. I<br />
was shooting to win that<br />
race this year, and I am<br />
happy that I got it.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> win was fitting for Santos<br />
who has exemplified excellence<br />
since enrolling at Montverde Academy<br />
in the spring of 2020. As a member of<br />
the girls swim team, she has played a<br />
pivotal role in helping the Eagles to an<br />
abundance of wins as a team, including<br />
the Citrus League championship, the<br />
FHSAA District championship, and<br />
FHSAA Regional championship the<br />
past two years.<br />
This past season alone, Santos helped<br />
the Eagles to an undefeated 5-0 record<br />
in dual meets, while the Eagles finished<br />
in the top five in each of its multi-team<br />
meets in <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Her victory in the state championship<br />
was fitting for a student-athlete who has<br />
been a model of excellence<br />
at Montverde Academy. In the pool,<br />
Santos has already garnered the<br />
experience of a veteran, having<br />
represented her native country of<br />
Panama on the world stage at events<br />
such as <strong>The</strong> Pan American Games,<br />
World Aquatics Games, Central<br />
American Games, and the Summer<br />
Olympics in Tokyo, Japan in 2021.<br />
She also became the first studentathlete<br />
in recent memory at Montverde<br />
Academy to win the Montverde<br />
Academy Student-Athlete of the Week<br />
award multiple times in one season.<br />
She garnered Montverde Academy’s<br />
top weekly award on October 3 and<br />
November 7 of this year.<br />
Outside the pool, Santos is serving as<br />
Head Prefect this year. She is also<br />
a part of the Model UN team, the<br />
Art’s Club, and an AP art studio<br />
class, taking full advantage<br />
of the abundance of<br />
available opportunities<br />
at Montverde Academy.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> combination of<br />
competitive sport and<br />
strong academics is what<br />
made me want to come<br />
to Montverde Academy,”<br />
Santos said. “Most of the<br />
stuff I do is something that<br />
I really love to do, and I love<br />
working with the people I get to<br />
work with here.”<br />
After she graduates this spring, Santos<br />
will continue her student-athlete career<br />
at Virginia Tech University where she<br />
will be a member of their women’s swim<br />
team. She aspires to work in business<br />
or marketing someday.
MONTVERDE ACADEMY<br />
Montverde, FL<br />
BREWSTER ACADEMY<br />
Wolfeboro, NH<br />
CALVARY CHRISTIAN<br />
Ft. Lauderdale, FL<br />
IMANI CHRISTIAN ACADEMY<br />
Pittsburgh, PA<br />
OAK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL<br />
Orlando, FL<br />
PROLIFIC PREP<br />
Napa, CA<br />
RIVIERA PREP<br />
Miami, FL<br />
THE ROCK SCHOOL<br />
Gainesville, FL<br />
EIGHT<br />
TEAMS,<br />
ONE<br />
CHAMPION<br />
MAIT 20<strong>24</strong><br />
MONTVERDE ACADEMY<br />
17235 SEVENTH STREET,<br />
MONTVERDE, FL 34756<br />
mvasports.com<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 29
X<br />
Congratulations to our student-athletes who announced their<br />
college decisions during the first signing day on November 8, <strong>2023</strong>!<br />
Lola Ressler<br />
Wake Forest University<br />
Soccer<br />
Amy Zona<br />
Davidson College<br />
Soccer<br />
Sara Zona<br />
Davidson College<br />
Soccer<br />
Emily Santos<br />
Virginia Tech<br />
Swim<br />
Regina Torres<br />
University of Houston<br />
Swim<br />
Lexi Perez<br />
Quinnipiac University<br />
Softball<br />
Marisol Gonzalez<br />
Emory University<br />
Softball<br />
Jenna Meder<br />
Florida Southern College<br />
Softball<br />
Ting-Wei (Tim) Chang<br />
University of Oregon<br />
Golf<br />
Gerardo Gomez<br />
University of Arkansas<br />
Golf<br />
Jerry Miao<br />
Macalester College<br />
Golf<br />
Cooper Flagg<br />
Duke University<br />
Basketball<br />
Asa Newell<br />
University of Georgia<br />
Basketball<br />
Curtis Givens<br />
Louisiana State University<br />
Basketball<br />
Robert Wright III<br />
Baylor University<br />
Basketball<br />
Liam McNeeley<br />
Indiana University<br />
Basketball<br />
Wesley Siegel<br />
Furman University<br />
Soccer<br />
Girik Walling<br />
Walsh University<br />
Soccer<br />
Go Eagles!<br />
30 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
JOIN THE MONTVERDE ACADEMY<br />
Scan QR Code to join<br />
or for more information<br />
contact Jeff Osterman at<br />
jeff.osterman@montverde.org<br />
Don't miss our spring performances!<br />
“Oliver”<br />
“Tempest”<br />
“Music of the Night” (Arts Alliance exclusive)<br />
“Aspects of Love”<br />
“Unexpected Song Music Cabaret”<br />
“Clue Onstage”<br />
and more!<br />
Scan the QR Code<br />
or contact Mary-Kay Rath at<br />
mary-kay.rath@montverde.org<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 31
Javier Collazo Lopez and Lily Downs in<br />
“Sunday in the Park with George”<br />
Behind the Scenes<br />
By Mr. Dean Bell, Director of Arts<br />
In the last year or so, it has become impossible to read a professional journal, attend a conference,<br />
or even speak with many colleagues without the topic of AI creeping into the discussion. To say that<br />
the topic has become pervasive almost across our culture is an understatement. Now, let me state up<br />
front I am not an AI hater, nor is this an AI-hating article, but I do hold some very strong sentiments<br />
about the topic and how it impacts our Arts and our Artists.<br />
32 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
To be clear, I think there are great uses for AI. <strong>The</strong> fact that I can<br />
potentially “fix” a once-in-a-lifetime photo where my camera’s focus<br />
was off makes me very glad for these technological advances.<br />
Nevertheless, I have to question if all of my photos need to be<br />
tweaked, corrected, and retouched. As I look through my photo album,<br />
I am reminded of the “reality” of the photo where my grandson’s mouth<br />
is open, his tongue out, his gaze not focused on the camera, or his tie<br />
hanging slightly askew. I guess because, in the end, I am reminded by<br />
the picture that life (at least mine) has seldom been perfect. Frankly, I<br />
have played with AI generators and am quite thrilled with how flattering<br />
they can make a picture of me, but I would be hard-pressed to want<br />
my family to remember me that way – I stand proud of the gray (and<br />
mostly absent) hair and wrinkles I have earned along my journeys.<br />
Sophia Liu in “Strings of the Macabre” Concert<br />
Beyond that, however, in my role as a director and protector of the<br />
Arts, I am left uncertain of what that precedent means for either our<br />
Artists or our consumers of Art. <strong>The</strong> artist and author David Bayles,<br />
in his book “Art and Fear,” states, “To require perfection is to invite<br />
paralysis. <strong>The</strong> pattern is predictable: as you see error in what you<br />
have done, you steer your work toward what you imagine you can do<br />
perfectly. You cling ever more tightly to what you already know you can<br />
do – away from risk and exploration.” As I watch our young students<br />
who work with software of this ilk, I see they become increasingly<br />
unwilling to put out a product that does meet their AI-trained standards.<br />
Our singers constantly compare their vocal skills to the tracks they<br />
listen to. Our dancers and actors judge themselves against clips which<br />
have been thoroughly retouched to present the artist at their very best.<br />
Likewise, as consumers, I see individuals less accepting of flaws in Art.<br />
This is across the board: photography, music, visual art, film/tv, and<br />
even live theatre. I am concerned, though, what message this need for<br />
“perfection” sends to our students.<br />
Daphne Gunasekera in “Masquerade” Vocal Salon<br />
Make no mistake, I believe the attempt to strive for our highest quality<br />
is incredibly important, and as you know and will see later in this article<br />
MVA certainly accomplishes that in our Arts programs; nevertheless,<br />
I feel this search for false perfection undermines at least four of the<br />
five central pillars of our Arts Mission (Creativity, Humanity, Integrity,<br />
Passion, and Success). It certainly takes away our Creativity as at its<br />
core AI is certainly someone else’s creativity. I may produce beautiful<br />
and worthwhile music using AI software, but it can never be fully<br />
mine. It was created from algorithms programmed by someone else.<br />
Integrity, I believe, always speaks to truth and honesty – and I am not<br />
calling AI Art dishonest, but am questioning if performances altered via<br />
computer enhancement (or even a simple auto tune) are true to the<br />
Artist I wish to be – and wish our students to be. Similarly, we want the<br />
Art that comes out of the Sandra O. Stephens buildings to be filled with<br />
the Passion of the individual who created it – not sterilized down so<br />
there are no flaws or rough edges. Warhol was not dispassionate. Van<br />
Gogh was not flawless. It is the Humanity piece, however, where I feel<br />
AI does us the greatest disservice. That we teach our student Artists<br />
to create despite our imperfections, despite our fear of failure, despite<br />
the potential judgement of others is what gives our Art humanity – and<br />
makes it the microcosm of life that also gives it beauty, longevity, and<br />
the ability to touch others.<br />
Montverde Academy Cross Country Invitational<br />
THE TOWER | | SUMMER WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 2022 33<br />
Middle School students in “Lucky Stiff”
Megan Busby in “Lucky Stiff”<br />
Gia Parker in “Masquerade”<br />
What may have spurred this article was<br />
our recent Middle School production<br />
of “Lucky Stiff.” At the risk of giving<br />
away some trade secret, I will tell you<br />
a couple of the scenes in that show<br />
did not come off the way they were<br />
planned or intended. Another secret –<br />
in live theatre they oftentimes do not!<br />
What they were, though, was genuine,<br />
memorable, enjoyable, at times utterly<br />
hilarious, and completely the students’<br />
work. Mr. Wright-Ahern had done<br />
a tremendous job of coaching the<br />
students, and the show went on with<br />
many people none the wiser. For my<br />
money, I will put that on a par with any<br />
dispassionate “perfect” show any day.<br />
When I have opportunities to judge<br />
competitions, I am always far more<br />
likely to recognize a slightly less perfect<br />
performance that made me “feel”<br />
something than a more perfect but less<br />
passionate one.<br />
So, to return to my title, creating<br />
Art in an AI world certainly creates<br />
possibilities for us never before<br />
available – and where appropriate we<br />
should embrace those technologies to<br />
create new and beautiful works. Along<br />
the way, however, we need to continue<br />
to educate our students and audiences<br />
in the importance of imperfection in<br />
the Arts, lest along the way we stop<br />
recognizing our individual creativity<br />
in favor of a conceived perfection of<br />
commonality.<br />
I am happy to share in the remainder<br />
of this article some of the Successes<br />
of our “imperfect” Artists. Our first<br />
Mainstage show of the season, “Sunday<br />
in the Park with George,” received 25<br />
Applause Award nominations, including<br />
Outstanding Musical (see inset for<br />
complete list). Three of our Music<br />
Conservatory students, Hanan Geda,<br />
Jason Tejada-Chancay, and Sophia Liu,<br />
all successfully auditioned and were<br />
selected to All-State Ensembles by the<br />
Florida Music Education Association.<br />
Lower School musicians Cece Hymel,<br />
Anika Pitolwala, Jason El-Bacha, Isabell<br />
Wojnowski, and Maheeba Minhas were<br />
selected to perform at the Southern<br />
Regional Honors Choir.<br />
Lower School artist Ava Taylor won<br />
“Best of Show” at Montverde Day.<br />
Our Middle and Upper School music<br />
students successfully presented three<br />
sold-out nights of their Vocal Salon,<br />
“Masquerade.” Our strings students<br />
presented a standing-room-only concert<br />
entitled “Strings of the Macabre.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Middle School theatre students,<br />
as mentioned,<br />
produced a<br />
very enjoyable<br />
presentation of<br />
“Lucky Stiff.”<br />
By the time this goes<br />
to press, the <strong>The</strong>atre<br />
Conservatory<br />
34 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
Cast of “Sunday in the Park with George”<br />
will have presented their Black Box<br />
production of “<strong>The</strong> Thanksgiving Play,”<br />
as well as their competition production<br />
of “<strong>The</strong> Last Supper" and will have<br />
taken over 30 “<strong>The</strong>spys” to District<br />
competition.<br />
In December, the joint forces of all three<br />
Conservatories will combine with a<br />
number of organizations across campus<br />
to create the Montverde Academy<br />
Holiday Fest, which brings our annual<br />
tradition of “Lessons and Carols” back<br />
to MVA for the first time in a decade and<br />
rebrands it into a full afternoon/evening<br />
of enjoyable experiences designed for<br />
the entire family.<br />
We are incredibly proud of our Art<br />
and Artists and the way each of you<br />
supports them – and that is a truth that<br />
does not need touched up by AI!<br />
“SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE”<br />
APPLAUSE AWARD NOMINEES<br />
Outstanding Musical<br />
Outstanding Ensemble<br />
Outstanding Leads: Lily Downs and Javier Collazo Lopez<br />
Outstanding Supporting Performers: Amelie Jaime,<br />
Arianna Parrilla, Eros Sanchez, and Mellany Wernek<br />
Outstanding Singers: Lily Downs, Javier Collazo Lopez, and<br />
Amelie Jaime<br />
Outstanding Actors: Elizabeth Crosley, Eros Sanchez,<br />
and Tyler Price<br />
Outstanding Dancers: Jade Harvey and Ariana Delgado<br />
Outstanding Director: Mr. David Ian Lee<br />
Outstanding Music Director: Mr. Dean Bell<br />
Outstanding Choreographer: Mrs. Jessica Birt Paz<br />
Outstanding Set Design: Mr. Michael Citrinite<br />
Outstanding Lighting Design: Mr. Michael Citrinite<br />
Outstanding Costume Design: Ms. Kat Henwood<br />
Outstanding Hair & Make-up Design: Ms. Kat Henwood<br />
Outstanding Sound Design: Elana Young and Zach Lane<br />
Outstanding Stage Manager: Phoenix Connick<br />
Cast of “<strong>The</strong> Thanksgiving Play”<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 35
DANCE<br />
CONSERVATORY<br />
By Mrs. Nichole Smith, Communications Coordinator<br />
Pictured from left to right are Dance Conservatory students Elise Block,<br />
Estela Carattini-Cintron, and Evelyn Schorr<br />
At<br />
the beginning of the <strong>2023</strong>-<strong>24</strong> academic year, Montverde Academy<br />
introduced the Dance Conservatory as a third track in the Fine Arts<br />
Conservatories. Mrs. Jessica Birt Paz came on board last year as an adjunct to<br />
teach six musical theatre-level classes per week and work with the choir. Once<br />
MVA decided to branch into a Conservatory program, she came on board as a<br />
full-time dance instructor. “I have been in dance conservatory programs since<br />
the sixth grade and thrive in that environment,” said Mrs. Paz.<br />
36 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong><br />
Mrs. Jessica Birt Paz
‟<br />
I’m not looking for the best technique in the room. It’s when<br />
I can’t take my eyes off you that the true artist is pulling me in.<br />
”<br />
“From the beginning when we<br />
implemented the Conservatory models<br />
here at Montverde Academy, dance<br />
and movement have always been an<br />
integral portion of our offerings,” said<br />
Mr. Dean Bell, the Director of Arts<br />
at MVA. “It became evident early on<br />
that elevating the quality of our dance<br />
instruction would have the added<br />
benefit of raising the quality of our<br />
overall programs and our productions.<br />
Over time we continued to grow the<br />
dance offerings to the point where it<br />
was a natural next step to employ a fulltime<br />
dance teacher. Finding someone<br />
with the technical background and love<br />
for the Art, as well as being a perfect<br />
fit with the students, was the key to<br />
making that jump; Mrs. Jessica Birt Paz<br />
was that person. It was always the plan<br />
at that point to admit full-time dance<br />
majors, thereby creating a third track<br />
in our Conservatories. <strong>The</strong> presence of<br />
the additional instruction, as well as the<br />
presence of our new dance majors, has<br />
already significantly impacted the types<br />
and quality of offerings we are able to<br />
undertake. We couldn’t be prouder to<br />
have the Dance Conservatory as one<br />
of the new hallmarks of our incredibly<br />
successful Arts program.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Dance curriculum focuses on four<br />
major movement components: jazz,<br />
ballet, tap, and modern. Jazz classes<br />
in particular focus a great deal on<br />
developing musculature as well as<br />
the technique of jazz dancing. Most<br />
students pick up on this very quickly –<br />
especially those who have been musical<br />
theatre students. Ballet, however,<br />
takes many years of practice, so those<br />
classes are geared more towards<br />
technical and muscular development.<br />
“If you get stronger in ballet,” said Mrs.<br />
Paz, “it’ll make everything else better.”<br />
Tap is a very structured and repetitive<br />
step-based class in which, again, MVA<br />
students seem to excel. Modern is very<br />
much geared to fluidity, expressivity,<br />
and creativity. “<strong>The</strong>re really are no<br />
holds barred in this class as long as the<br />
student finds the way for the music to<br />
speak through dance.” Although placing<br />
great emphasis on technique, Mrs. Paz<br />
ultimately wants to see the artist. “I’m<br />
not looking for the best technique in the<br />
room. It’s when I can’t take my eyes off<br />
you that the true artist is pulling me in.”<br />
To say her dancers have already shown<br />
amazing success is underscored by the<br />
fact that last year, Mrs. Paz received<br />
the Outstanding Choreographer Award<br />
from the Applause Awards for her<br />
choreography in “December Songs.”<br />
“It was definitely a validating moment,”<br />
said Mrs. Paz.<br />
Mrs. Paz also values her students<br />
having the strength to be “confidently<br />
wrong,” as she puts it. “That’s why I<br />
love live theatre so much, because<br />
I love when things go wrong and to<br />
see how that artist critically thinks and<br />
solves the problem. I want to see how<br />
they handle it when things happen,”<br />
said Mrs. Paz. “We had a student who,<br />
unfortunately, had a costume issue. She<br />
came on stage and delivered that scene<br />
perfectly while holding her skirt up<br />
around her waist. Everything changes<br />
when you go on that stage and the<br />
lights are up. That’s the true challenge,<br />
and that’s where you truly find out<br />
what you have to give and<br />
who you are.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Dance Conservatory<br />
also has an academicbased<br />
learning component<br />
that teaches the fundamentals<br />
of vocabulary, history, anatomy, and<br />
everything students need to know to<br />
further their career as a professional<br />
dancer or teacher. “When you know<br />
what the words mean, you know how<br />
to approach the dynamics of that<br />
movement better,” said Mrs. Paz.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Dance Conservatory aims to<br />
prepare students for what they<br />
will encounter at the college level.<br />
“My focus is on strengthening their<br />
bodies, strengthening their minds,<br />
strengthening their self-awareness,<br />
giving them a handle on injury<br />
prevention, and preparing them<br />
academically for a successful collegiate<br />
dance program,” said Mrs. Paz<br />
Estela Carattini-Cintron<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 37
<strong>The</strong> 2020 basketball team with Coach Kevin Boyle receiving their class rings<br />
Dr. and Mrs. Walter Stephens Family<br />
Ms. Meristell Shackelford and family<br />
Marisa and David Price<br />
Lagrane Jefferson, Tricia Robbins, Tricia Hollis,<br />
Brittini Carter, Maya Paris, Christina Gazzia, and Damu Mitchell<br />
DeShonda Mayo, Kalena Meyers, and Larnette Ramsey 2020 basketball team with coaches Ernie Morris Enterprises, LLC<br />
<strong>The</strong> 19th Annual Celebrating<br />
Education Legacy Ball was a<br />
huge success. It was a special night<br />
celebrating Mrs. Sandra Stephens,<br />
Trustee Legacy Award recipient for<br />
over 50 years of service to Montverde<br />
Academy, and Ms. Meristell<br />
Shackelford, Educator Legacy Award<br />
recipient, as she celebrated 20 years<br />
of dedicated service to the Academy.<br />
Congratulations to our 2020 boys<br />
basketball team, referred to as “the<br />
greatest high school basketball team<br />
ever,” on finally getting to celebrate<br />
their National Championship together.<br />
Cade Cunningham was presented<br />
with the 2020 Naismith Trophy for<br />
Prep Player of the Year.<br />
<strong>The</strong> evening was filled with live<br />
entertainment and an exciting live and<br />
silent auction. Thank you to all our<br />
amazing sponsors and guests that<br />
made this a night to remember.<br />
38 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
By Mrs. Zehra Naqvi, Donor Relations Coordinator<br />
We’ve had another exciting year<br />
here in the Alumni Relations Office at<br />
Montverde Academy! In October, I joined<br />
the Academy as a Donor Relations<br />
Coordinator and the new alumni<br />
liaison. I have 10 years of experience<br />
in development and donor relations,<br />
working mainly with local, national, and<br />
international nonprofit organizations.<br />
I earned my master’s degree in leadership<br />
and organizations from the University<br />
of Denver and have also worked as<br />
a freelance digital content creator for<br />
various online publications. I enjoy<br />
writing, traveling, and connecting with<br />
people. When I’m not taking my children<br />
to playdates and birthday parties, I like to<br />
spend my time reading, catching up on<br />
shows, or visiting my favorite<br />
Disney parks.<br />
Would you like to be featured<br />
as a Notable Alum or know<br />
someone that should?<br />
Contact Mrs. Zehra Naqvi<br />
Donor Relations Coordinator<br />
alumni@montverde.org<br />
As the alumni relations point person,<br />
I’m excited to see how we can elevate<br />
our freshly established program to new<br />
heights. Our goal here in the alumni<br />
office is to serve as the link between<br />
the Academy and our remarkable MVA<br />
Alumni Association. We want our alums<br />
to come back and revisit the memories<br />
and moments they created during their<br />
time at MVA. As you leave your mark on<br />
the world, share your tales with us! We<br />
always welcome stories of our cherished<br />
alums, and our students love to hear<br />
alumni success stories and are eager<br />
to learn from you as mentors. Please<br />
reach out if you are interested in being<br />
a part of our mentorship program. <strong>The</strong><br />
Academy takes pride in celebrating your<br />
accomplishments. Remember, once an<br />
Eagle, always an Eagle!<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 39
Luc Mbah a Moute and Joe Katuka<br />
Luc Mbah a Moute with Mindy Hopman<br />
By Mrs. Zehra Naqvi, Donor Relations Coordinator<br />
Luc Mbah a Moute ‘05<br />
When we talk about the fulfillment of dreams, one Montverde Academy alum who comes to<br />
mind is Luc Mbah a Moute. CNN once referred to him as the “African Prince” who went on<br />
to become the “king of NBA.” At 6 feet 8 inches tall, Mbah a Moute played the last game of<br />
his professional career in 2020, a career that spanned over 12 years.<br />
Mbah a Moute was raised in<br />
Yaoundé, Cameroon, a metropolitan<br />
city with more than a million<br />
residents. In 2001, he arrived at MVA.<br />
He fondly recalls his time on campus<br />
and seeing the gym for the first time,<br />
which, to someone who grew up in<br />
Africa with no infrastructure to work<br />
on his craft, was “amazing.” He<br />
remembers being amazed by the<br />
resources available to him and how<br />
the community at MVA helped him<br />
feel welcome. In his second year,<br />
after establishing himself in the MVA<br />
basketball world, Mbah a Moute<br />
made time to become more involved<br />
in various campus activities – student<br />
council, soccer, music – he enjoyed<br />
it all.<br />
In 2005, Mbah a Moute went on to<br />
play college basketball at UCLA.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re, by virtue of his dynamic game,<br />
he gained a faithful fan following.<br />
It was there that he piqued the<br />
interest of one of the NBA’s top<br />
teams. In 2008, he was a second<br />
draft pick for the Milwaukee Bucks,<br />
where he quickly established his<br />
footing. During his tenure as the<br />
small forward for the Bucks, Mbah a<br />
Moute was widely regarded as one of<br />
the league’s best defensive players.<br />
He has played for the Sacramento<br />
Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves,<br />
Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles<br />
Clippers, and Houston Rockets. He<br />
has also played for the Cameroonian<br />
national team. Currently, he is a<br />
player agent and continues his<br />
support of young, talented basketball<br />
players looking for their big break.<br />
Mbah a Moute spent 12 years in<br />
the NBA as a player, and while his<br />
formidable performances on the<br />
courts are praiseworthy, it is the<br />
impact he has had off the courts<br />
that deserves a special mention.<br />
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid,<br />
who attended MVA in 2011, was<br />
one of the players who attended a<br />
camp organized by Mbah a Moute<br />
in Yaoundé, Cameroon. It was Mbah<br />
a Moute who saw Embiid’s potential<br />
and helped him come to MVA, the<br />
alma mater that initiated his own<br />
successful career. He has continued<br />
to help the young center during<br />
his NBA journey, even playing as<br />
teammates for one season on the<br />
Philadelphia 76ers.<br />
Despite the success he has<br />
experienced on and off the courts<br />
in America, Mbah a Moute hasn’t<br />
forgotten his roots. He continues to<br />
give back to his country, fulfilling his<br />
(and their) dreams of helping African<br />
youth realize their true potential. In<br />
the past, he has traveled to South<br />
Africa to take part in Basketball<br />
40 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
Luc visiting the NEST when he returned to campus this past summer<br />
Without Borders, an NBA program that<br />
gives capable youth the chance to play<br />
the game with basketball greats and<br />
believe that their dreams, too,<br />
can become a reality.<br />
For Mbah a Moute, the biggest<br />
takeaway from his years at MVA is<br />
the “strong brotherhood” bonds that<br />
were made. He recognizes his arrival<br />
at MVA as “one of the best things that<br />
happened to [his] life,” not just for how it<br />
catapulted a successful sports career for<br />
him, but for the inimitable “friendships,<br />
brotherhoods, and sisterhoods” that<br />
are created “for the rest of your life.” He<br />
encourages future generations to “take<br />
advantage” of this prestigious,<br />
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity provided<br />
to them so like him, they, too, can<br />
cherish the relationships and<br />
memories for years to come.<br />
Photos provided by fellow alum, Christina Gazzia.<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 41
1<br />
2 3 4<br />
5<br />
6 7 8 9<br />
10<br />
1968<br />
GARY STAMM (1)<br />
visited Montverde Academy<br />
from Lakeland, FL, on<br />
July 18, <strong>2023</strong>. Gary attended<br />
MVA from 1966-68.<br />
1986<br />
JAMES RUSSELL BEGLEY<br />
Professional firefighter and<br />
paramedic, City of Columbus,<br />
OH (retired).<br />
Favorite staff member:<br />
Mr. Carlo<br />
Best Academic<br />
Accomplishment: Consumer<br />
Math Award, 1986.<br />
Best Athletic<br />
Accomplishment: 6th in<br />
District, Polevault, 1986.<br />
Outlook: Life is wonderful!<br />
1988<br />
CASSANDRA PILEGGI (2)<br />
ran in the New York Marathon<br />
this year. She ran track at<br />
Montverde Academy. “It was<br />
always a passion!” After<br />
fighting a tough battle with<br />
cancer, Cassandra won the<br />
lottery to run in the New York<br />
Marathon, and despite having<br />
macular degeneration and<br />
remnants of the cancer in her<br />
kidney, she finished strong.<br />
“It was the most incredible<br />
experience of my lifetime.”<br />
2007<br />
NEVARE ZIMMERMAN (3)<br />
married Craig Desnoyers<br />
on October 7, <strong>2023</strong> in<br />
Lake Placid, NY.<br />
JOE KATUKA (4)<br />
and Stephanie Ratliff<br />
welcomed a baby boy on<br />
November 17, <strong>2023</strong>. His<br />
name is Jayson Don Katuka.<br />
2010<br />
SOOMIN TASSELLI (5)<br />
(maiden name Kim) resides<br />
in the NY/NJ area, currently<br />
working for a Korean<br />
Conglomerate. Soomin and<br />
her husband are expecting<br />
their first baby in December.<br />
2012<br />
AKEYLA FURBERT (6)<br />
attended the MVA Alumni<br />
reunion in Bermuda.<br />
KAYLA MASON (7)<br />
is marrying Russell Mitts<br />
on December 15, <strong>2023</strong>, in<br />
Orange Park, FL. <strong>The</strong>y reside<br />
in Casselberry, FL.<br />
2013<br />
THY VUONG (8)<br />
and her husband welcomed<br />
their baby, Zachery An Ky<br />
(Ký Gia An), on<br />
November 28, <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
2014<br />
Congratulations to<br />
I-TING CHENG (9)<br />
and her husband who are<br />
expecting their first baby.<br />
2015<br />
MANUEL LOPEZ (10)<br />
married Haley Limper<br />
on October 7, <strong>2023</strong>, in<br />
Springfield, IL.<br />
2016<br />
ISABELLA OJEDA (11)<br />
will be getting married in<br />
December <strong>2023</strong>. Isabella and<br />
Mario, who first met through<br />
mutual friends in <strong>The</strong>ta<br />
Chi and Phi Mu fraternities<br />
at Florida International<br />
University, are delighted<br />
to share the news of their<br />
upcoming wedding in the<br />
beautiful Xcaret, Mexico.<br />
2019<br />
AUBREY WILLIAMS (12)<br />
married James Nussbaumer<br />
on November 21, <strong>2023</strong>, in<br />
Howey-in-the-Hills, FL.<br />
2020<br />
BERNARDO SILVA (13)<br />
recently won Gold at the<br />
Curitiba Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu<br />
Pro <strong>2023</strong> Championship.<br />
He has competed in and<br />
won several Jiu-Jitsu<br />
championships in the past.<br />
42 THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong>
11 10<br />
12 13<br />
3 14<br />
15 16 17<br />
SEND US YOUR CLASS NOTES! Send Class Notes submissions and high-resolution (at least 300 dpi) photos to<br />
alumni@montverde.org or mail to Class Notes at MVA, 17235 Seventh Street, Montverde, FL 34756.<br />
JACK KAMSICKAS (14)<br />
is preparing to graduate<br />
from Clemson University<br />
(SC) in August 20<strong>24</strong> with a<br />
double major in business<br />
management and PGA golf<br />
management. Following<br />
graduation, he has accepted<br />
a position as an Assistant<br />
Golf Professional at <strong>The</strong><br />
Country Club (Brookline)<br />
outside of Boston, MA. This<br />
course has hosted 17 USGA<br />
championships in its 141-<br />
year history. He was an IJGA<br />
student here at MVA.<br />
2022<br />
FERNANDA OVALLE (15)<br />
won bronze in women's<br />
basketball at the <strong>2023</strong> Pan<br />
American Games held in<br />
Chile, representing Chile.<br />
ARUBA<br />
REUNION<br />
Several graduates from the<br />
1980s gathered together for<br />
a small reunion in Aruba.<br />
Another reunion is planned<br />
for September 20<strong>24</strong>.<br />
Pictured from left to right<br />
are RICKY BEAUJON,<br />
JUDITH WILLEMS,<br />
XIOMARA COMENENCIA,<br />
MARIO CROES, and<br />
JANINE CROES (16).<br />
GENE<br />
STRICKLAND<br />
JOE KATUKA ’07, RUSLAN<br />
PETEEV ’09 (17), Roy<br />
Labrador, and Darrell Moody<br />
attended the celebration of<br />
life of former coach Gene<br />
Strickland.<br />
THE TOWER | WINTER <strong>2023</strong> 43
Montverde Academy<br />
17235 Seventh Street<br />
Montverde, FL 34756<br />
Save the Date<br />
APRIL 26, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
Mission Inn Resort & Club