Tower Winter 2020-21

FEATURE ARTICLE 

MVA STRONG - Creating a 

Safe Environment 

Page 26 

WINTER 2020

HEAD OF SCHOOL 

Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring 

2020-21 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Mr. Tim J. Bach 

Mr. Jon Frere 

Mrs. S. Renee Lundy ’79 

Mr. Michael Mason ’84 

Dr. Sydney McPhee 

Mr. Gregory L. Nelson 

Mr. Sean Parks 

EX-OFFICIO 


Mr. T. Scott Ohmstede 

Mrs. Lori Specht ’84 

Mrs. Sandra O. Stephens 

Dr. Walter L. Stephens, 

Trustee Emeritus, 1999-2020 

STAFF 

Andrea Colby 

Michele Kanikovsky 

Ginny Holm 

Kimberly Braden 

Catherine McKinney 

Editor-in-Chief 

Creative Director 

Creative Editor 

Photographer 

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: Jaiden Muramatsu, Dylan Boba, Carine Hayes, Analiz Saavedra, 

Amy Zona 

On the cover: Zoey Toth, Ethan Nazario, Kara Brauman 

On the back cover: Jason Torres, Head Athletic Trainer 

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 

Are you looking for photos, events, news and more? Montverde Academy provides the latest news and 

Eagle happenings on a variety of platforms. Follow us on: 

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Visit montverde.org 

2 THE TOWER | WINTER 2020

WINTER 2020 | VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 

“I believe in laughter. I think it is food for 

the soul.” – Tommy Lasorda 

It sure feels like there hasn’t been a 

whole lot to laugh about lately. Turning 

on the news is downright depressing 

and I’m sure missing traveling to see 

family and friends. However, we all have 

a choice – which is how will we face our 

day – I'm seeking the positives to feed 

the soul. 

As a parent of a senior, I have grown nostalgic as graduation 

looms. It is truly a year of last firsts – last first day of school, last 

homecoming dance, last Thanksgiving as a high school student – 

and I am happy to savor these moments that seem to be flying by. 

Finding moments of joy and happiness amid a year 

of challenges is important and when we look back on these 

moments, I want to remember the important parts – not that we 

had to wear a mask, but that we were happy and celebrating 

achievements together. 

This issue of The Tower celebrates the strength and resilience of 

the MVA community amid the pandemic. This community continues 

to demonstrate the commitment to excellence that has made the 

Academy standout from the others. Our administration, faculty 

and staff have risen to the challenges and creatively reconstructed 

curriculum, procedures and protocols for a safe campus for everyone 

– and our students and families have adapted to make it all work – it 

has been no small feat! Congratulations to everyone for continuing to 

move forward in our new, and hopefully temporary, normal. 

I hope you enjoy reading about students who are achieving success 

in a variety of ways, from fiercely pursuing their passion, leading 

with character, strength and compassion and earning scholarships, 

to celebrating success in theatre, music and athletics. Check out 

our Employee Spotlight, stories about each division, update on 

fundraising efforts, as well as Alumni updates and class notes to 

learn more about what is going on at MVA. 

We welcome feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts 

with me at andrea.colby@montverde.org. 

IN THIS ISSUE 

8 

26 

32 

36 

Table of Contents 

Creating Curriculum for the New 

Normal in Lower School 

MVA STRONG - Creating a Safe 

Environment 

Middle School Leading the Way 

Head of School's Leadership 

Institute Leads by Example 

CONTENTS 

Message from the Head of School 4 

Parents’ Perspective 6 

Lower School Halloween Parade 12 

Employee Spotlight 14 

Pursuing Passion 16 

Sports Wrap Up 22 

Girls Cross Country Success 23 

National Signing Day 24 

Kevin Boyle Awarded Naismith 25 

Protect MVA Fund 30 

Middle School Construction Update 31 

Student Life 39 

Fine Arts Update 40 

Golf Tournament Photo Collage 44 

In Memoriam - Dr. Walter L. Stephens 46 

Alumni Relations 47 

Alumni Spotlight 51 

Class Notes 56 

As 2020 draws to a close, I wish you good health, joy and peace 

during the holiday season. May 2021 bring us more joyful moments. 

Kind regards, 

Andrea Colby 

Director of Communications 

THE TOWER | WINTER 2020 3

We are 

MVA 

STRONG! 

By Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, Head of School 


MVA STRONG. As I was contemplating what to write in support of our Tower Magazine 

theme, my mind wondered in many different directions. The past ten months has by 

far been the most challenging period of leadership in my more than two decades as a 

Head of School. Having weathered serious personal illness, the loss of our home due 

to fire, a number of hurricanes and tropical storms, economic down turns, and the loss 

of my parents, I asked myself why these last 10 months have been so challenging. 

In organizational management, we like to create strategic 

plans, scour data and analytics to determine outcomes 

and evaluate performance indicators to make educated 

decisions. As we entered March and a shut-down of the 

campus and transition to distance learning, there was 

no road map, no strategic plan, no past performance 

indicators or data to follow – we were riding by the seat of 

our pants. More importantly, we were faced with an issue 

that even the “experts” did not have answers – they, too, 

were learning as they went. 

So, I called on my instincts and chose to embark on a 

shared learning experience. We developed our COVID-19 

Response Team, comprised of our management team, 

medical team and several support staff, who engaged in 

many hours of meetings together as well as professional 

development webinars and leadership roundtables to 

educate ourselves on best practices as we formulated our 

return to school protocols. 

of which has been a critical piece of our management of 

COVID-19 in making swift, educated decisions. 

Most importantly, I leaned on a number of our MVA 

physicians to form our Medical Consulting Team. They have 

all been so gracious to volunteer their time, their expertise 

and their passion for MVA; and it has been an enormous 

asset to me personally and professionally as well as to 

our internal medical staff. I am so grateful to them and for 

them, I do wish to acknowledge each of them: Dr. Julio 

Paez, Drs. Tony and Julie Saranita, Dr. Nelisa LeLane, Dr. 

Fabio Echavarria, Dr. James Tanis, Dr. John Hayes, Dr. 

Angeles Otero, Dr. Amit Varma, Dr. Neeru Chopra Varma, 

Dr. Lu Gunesekara, and Dr. Jeremy Spry. I also wish to 

acknowledge our MVA Medical Team who has undoubtedly 

been on the front line of guiding our management 

protocols: Mrs. Monica Castro, RN; Mrs. Tiffani Law, RN; 

and our certified athletic trainers, Mr. Jason Torres, Mr. 

Justin Arroyo and Mr. Stephen Saavedra. 

Equally as important, we leaned on our partners at Orlando 

Health to engage in the composition of our return to school 

protocols and our COVID-19 testing program, the latter 


As we enter this holiday season and the New Year, I choose 

NOT to focus on the strife and challenge of the past 

months, but on our blessings: 

• I am grateful that we were able to return to face-to-face 

learning. 

• I am grateful that our students and faculty are able to, 

once again, fellowship with one another. 

• I am grateful that our students are able to reengage in 

their passions in the arts, athletics and activities. 

• I am grateful for our medical staff and our medical 

consulting team for their dedication and commitment to 

keeping our school community safe. 

• I am grateful for our faculty and staff for their commitment 

to serving the children under our care, for putting their 

own fears and anxieties aside to give our children the 

education they are yearning to experience. 

• I am grateful for our leadership team for their unwavering 

and collective commitment to our safety measures and to 

the continued quality of our educational programs. 

• I am grateful for our Board of Trustees for their continued 

faith in our school, its faculty and leadership to navigate 

these challenging circumstances, and for their support, 

encouragement and guidance along the way. 

• I am grateful for all of the families who chose to remain 

committed to Montverde Academy and continue to 

support our mission. 

• I am grateful for all of the children under our care for 

without them, our mission cannot be realized and receive 

life. 

• I am grateful for my faith and for our ability to keep our 

positivity rate below one percent. 

Undoubtedly, we will all have many substantive reasons 

to want to say goodbye and good riddance to 2020; 

however, as my father once told me, never let a good crisis 

go to waste – and so we haven’t. The learning curve has 

been steep and challenging, but accompanied by many 

opportunities to be grateful for those things in life we often 

take for granted – the freedom with which we engage 

with people. 

AJ Jackson 

Students around campus 

I am ever more mindful that the success of us is us – 

MVA IS STRONG! 

Chadi Mayati and Jaiden Muramatsu 


By Andrea Colby, Director of Communications 

Craig, Rebecca, Lucas, Kamron, and Joshua Brown 


Craig and Rebecca Brown met at Tulane 

University where they were both studying 

and pursuing athletics. Craig, originally 

from Tampa, was pursuing baseball as 

a pitcher, and Rebecca, an Australian 

native, was a track star. Following careers 

in professional athletics, they settled in 

Central Florida where Craig now serves 

as a partner in a national business 

management and accounting firm and 

Rebecca is a personal trainer and activist. 

The family discovered Montverde Academy when Rebecca 

tagged along with a friend to an Open House on campus 

in 2011. Their twins, Lucas and Joshua, were going into 

second grade and their youngest child, Kamron, was two. 

They were looking for the best educational opportunities for 

their children and found MVA at the ideal time. 

“What immediately struck us about MVA was the diverse 

student population,” said Mr. Brown. “We were specifically 

looking for a place our children could go that had people 

from various social and economic backgrounds, who would 

bring and share diverse, worldly life experiences. We felt 

MVA provided this opportunity.” 

The twins entered Montverde Academy in second 

grade and found that they had a passion for theater and 

performing. Now in their junior year, they have flourished 

as part of the Theatre Conservatory program. Kamron also 

entered MVA as a second-grade student and is now a 

sixth-grade student in the Middle School who is excelling 

academically and pursuing his interest in sports. 

“Montverde Academy has helped me grow as a person by 

teaching me how to be responsible and by having great 

teachers who are always willing to help,” said Kamron. 

“What’s most unique about my experience here is how 

many people from different countries go here, making it 

normal to see someone from somewhere else.” 

“Being a student at MVA since second grade has helped me 

excel,” said Lucas. “I’m grateful for all of the opportunities 

I have had. The caliber of the shows that are performed 

inspired my love for theatre, which became a full-blown 

passion – I had to be a part of it. The Montverde Academy 

Theatre Conservatory has been essential for my success 

with theatre, and the arts overall.” 

Joshua, Kamron, and Lucas Brown 

“One of the most valuable things about MVA is the true 

community that exists here. It is a well-run operation with 

continuity in the message and values from Lower School all 

the way through the Upper School. We truly value all of the 

opportunities MVA offers students to discover their passion, 

whatever it may be. Exposure to a wide variety of sports, as 

well as opportunities to experience arts through Fine Arts 

Conservatory programs, allows children the chance to find 

their lane,” said Mr. Brown. 

“ 

I have always been met with teachers who 

want their students to succeed, which motivated 

me to be the best version of myself... 

” 

Joshua Brown ’22 

“I think the teachers’ determination helped me grow and 

excel,” said Joshua. “I have always been met with teachers 

who want their students to succeed, which motivated me 

to be the best version of myself. As an arts student, the 

teachers’ passion and the support of Dr. Kesselring and the 

administrative team, really helps kids grow their creativity.” 

The Brown family agrees that what makes a student’s 

experience at MVA unique is, “the diversity and friends 

you can make from all over the world, from all different 

backgrounds, where you can grow and prosper with one 

another.” The family has recommended the Academy to 

many friends and family for three main reasons: children get 

a great education in a safe and inclusive environment; the 

many opportunities to gain a worldly perspective through 

interaction with people from all over the globe – that is 

unique to central Florida; and finally, the Academy has the 

resources to help students pursue and achieve their goals 

at the highest level. 


Virtual students join Mrs. Whiffen's science class 

CREATING CURRICULUM FOR THE NEW 

NORMAL IN THE LOWER SCHOOL 

Students in the Lower School are dropped off after a quick scan of the green screen 

on the phone and a temperature check. It is one of the many protocols that have been 

established as part of the new normal to do our best to keep COVID-19 at bay. 

Our teachers have adapted and become more creative to 

keep students learning, particularly those distance learning 

students, as there is no true curriculum that integrates in 

class and distance learning in elementary education. The 

teachers have meticulously revised their lesson plans to 

ensure that those online continue to learn in an engaged, 

relevant way. Through technology such as the iPad and 

SWIVL tools, teachers are creatively creating an effective 

learning environment for students to learn and thrive in. 

“To reopen in light of COVID-19, we had to adapt our 

procedures and curriculum,” said Ms. Meristell Shackelford, 

Dean of the Lower School. “We have changed how we 

teach as we’ve been very collaborative, mixing classes, 

hosting guests and working together, which is not possible 

now. It’s frustrating, but everyone has kept a positive 

attitude knowing that it has to be done to keep everyone 

safe. We still work together, in different ways now, which 

has been a learning process for students, parents, faculty, 

and staff alike.” 

Distance learners attend classes synchronously with their 

peers, and are actively engaged by the teacher and peers. 

Teachers prepare materials for distance learners that the 

class will be using in their lessons for parents to pick up 

to ensure students have the materials necessary to follow 

along as if right in class. That way, when the activity is 

creating artwork, reading a book together or studying 

different aspects of the Thanksgiving holiday, every student 

is working from the same materials. 

The routine is critical for Lower School students and while 

there are differences, many things have been modified 

to fit our protocols. Like morning assembly has alternate 


days with students socially distanced, iPads are in tow 

to ensure distance learners also participate. “Assembly is 

an important aspect of our school culture, it helps us be 

a community, focus on our character traits, communicate 

information, and build relationships. It also gives our older 

students an opportunity to lead, present and practice their 

public speaking skills – it’s part of the rite of passage at the 

Lower School that we want to continue. We want to protect 

the integrity of the MVA experience which is what makes us 

unique,” said Ms. Shackelford. 

Parents with students in distance learning pick up materials 

needed and tune in daily to be in sync with their class. SWIVL 

technology allows the camera to track the teacher during 

lectures and iPads for distance learners are placed within 

groups during center time to ensure peer interaction. 

I organize and prepare differently with distance 

learning to ensure my students have all the 

materials they need to be on track with the 

in-person class...They are very much a part of 

our class, they are called on for answers and to 

share their work, just as if they were here. 

Mrs. Sinopoli, Kindergarten teacher 

Parents play a key role in keeping their child focused and on 

track in Pre-K3 through second grade. “There isn’t a onesize-fits-all 

program for students in these lower grades, as 

each individual is progressing developmentally, academically 

and socially at their own pace. Parents and teachers have 

developed a great rapport to ensure success,” said Mrs. 

Shackelford. 

“I organize and prepare differently with distance learning 

to ensure my students have all the materials they need to 

be on track with the in-person class,” said Mrs. Sinopoli, 

Kindergarten teacher. “At the beginning of the school year, 

the class spends time getting to know each other, and 

my distance learners participated in that process as well. 

They are very much part of our class, they are called on for 

answers and to share their work, just as if they were here. 

Parents are fabulous as well, checking in for weekly updates 

keeps everyone feeling connected.” 

Ms. Shackelford administers temperature checks 

In Mrs. Braunstein’s Pre-K4 class “Zowie-head” is a student 

who attends class virtually and is “present” via the iPad video 

that is moved from table to floor to desk to be right in the 

action. From centers and covering “G” as the letter of the 

week, to reading time and “getting the giggles out,” Zoey 

doesn’t miss a beat. 

In speaking with students in Mr. Hand’s fourth-grade 

class, they shared their experience with distance learning. 

“I think it’s easier to get to do my assignments because I 

have everything right here to work,” said Ella Holt, who is a 

distance learner. “The thing I miss most is getting to really see 

my friends.” 

“I like that I don’t have to wear a mask all day,” said Munsif 

Minhas. “The thing I miss most is that I don’t get recess or 

gym to get a break and hang out with friends.” 

Students in Mrs. Whiffen's science class 


Megan Busby was a distance learner for the first quarter, 

but returned to be on campus for the second quarter. “I feel 

like there’s some difficulties being online, like if you can’t see 

the board if the iPad isn’t moved right, or if you can’t hear 

something. Being here on campus, it’s hard to wear a mask, 

but I like being here to be with friends,” she said. 

Mrs. Whiffen’s science class is very hands-on, so she too 

must prepare well to have everyone on the same page. “In 

my planning, I try to use items from around the home, so 

if a student didn’t get the materials, they have options to 

use things that they already have a home to participate in 

activities,” said Mrs. Whiffen. “I always try to do activities 

that are meaningful, which is key for students to engage 

and learn whether they are in the classroom or online. I think 

the faculty is more connected now as we share what works, 

what doesn’t work and tips to incorporate the available 

technology in our efforts, since distance learning is new 

to everyone.” 

Enrichments such as music, art and computers have 

adapted the way they do things. The teachers include 

students as though they were present in the classroom. 

In music, the tiny lags that occur as part of technological 

processing, make collaborating on music difficult. 

“I’ve had to rethink how we collaborate in a way that 

allows our distance learning students to engage in a 

meaningful way, because so much of what we do is based 

on ensembles,” said Mrs. Gina Mobley, Music teacher. “As 

we play our instrument at school, I encourage students at 

home to use found sounds – music created by items found 

in their surroundings – that mimic an instrument’s sound. It’s 

become somewhat cross curricular as some distant learners 

use instruments created in Mrs. Whiffen’s science class 

during the sound energy unit. This year, curriculum units 

have changed to include more listening and analyzing music 

to build music vocabulary to offer a learning experience that 

is the same for on-campus and distant learners. Music, 

especially the singing aspect, has changed drastically too. 

While singing still happens in the classroom, it is very limited 

and is never the focus of a lesson. There have been many 

changes in how I teach music and many have improved all 

our students’ learning experience.” 

A highlight for second, third, fourth and fifth grade students 

has been learning to play a string instrument with Dr. 

Jeannine Mongeon, Instrumental Music teacher. “This year, 

a major difference in class is that I don’t touch children’s 

hand positions. Proprioceptive feedback is an effective 

teaching tool for a string teacher so I have had to adapt 

and use more verbal and visual cues to help the students. 

Without the pressure of performances the first semester, 

I have been able to spend more time on technique issues 

which will ultimately result in students playing better. 

Students do not share any instruments, seats, music stands 

or pencils this year, partner games have been eliminated, 

and tuning procedures have changed slightly. I’m happy to 

say we have adapted schedules for fourth- and fifth-grade 

students to pursue strings this year. They can choose 

between violin, viola and cello – which is a really wonderful 

opportunity for students to continue developing their 

musical abilities right into Middle and Upper School.” 

In the technology class, research has been an important 

for Ms. Cynthia Cunningham’s classes. “We are continuing 

to learn how to code, but are using a variety of research 

based resources to do that to ensure distance learning 

students can access tools in the same way that in-person 

students do,” said Ms. Cunningham. “Some technology 

we have used in the past is not available in the same way it 

was last year, so we’ve changed the software we use. The 

students doing distance learning join our class via a variety 

of tech tools (tablets and computers) to be part of a class 

contributing as if they were in the classroom with us.” 

“We are constantly trouble-shooting to help our parents 

and students to continue to have a positive experience, no 

matter if it is through distance learning or in person. Our 

teachers have been phenomenal in stepping up. They’re 

doing research, learning new programs and technology, 

helping each other, being flexible, and staying positive in this 

constantly changing and unnerving time. Our students and 

families have remained resilient and positive as well under 

challenging circumstances. We will remain diligent and 

continue to mitigate the risks for as long as we have to in 

order to keep our students, faculty, staff, and community as 

safe and healthy as possible, while maintaining the excellent 

education that MVA is known for. We thank everyone for the 

patience and flexibility demonstrated - it truly is a testament 

to our character. We are MVA Strong!” 

Mrs. Patterson with virtual students 


FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT 

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 

at Sanctuary Ridge 

Tournament begins at 8:30 a.m. 

For sponsorship information, contact Kalena Meyers 

kalena.meyers@montverde.org 

407.469.2561 x 6002 


LOWER SCHOOL 

1 2 3 

6 7 8 

12 13 


4 5 

9 10 11 

14 15 

1. Mason Martin, Ms. Cyndi Cunningham 

2. Mrs. Jayne Beucher, Ms. Meristell Shackelford 

3. Connor Burke 

4. Charlene Wathington, Elise Spaulding, Isabella Oliver, 

Emily Gunderson 

5. Abhiraj Varma 

6. Nevaeh Driscoll 

7. Summer Aboushaba, Annabelle Lewo 

8. Liliana Parker, Carter Bostocky, Addison Vogel 

9. Elior de Nobrega Dos Santos, Talei Price, Journey Jones 

10. Layla Fagan 

11. Mateo Paris, Gabriella Rodriguez, Ieva Siudikas, Griffin 

Spaulding 

12. Keira Spry, George Albuquerque, Vicente Pacheco, CJ 

Reynolds 

13. Caelyn Clarke, Charlotte Kovatch, Mikah Phiri, Nash 

Kelly, Ms. Lori Pollock 

14. Willow Ramski 

15. Evan Langfeld 


Employee 

Spotlight 

Yordin Robinson 


One of the quotes that 

resonates with me is, ‘Students 

don’t care how much you 

know, until they know how 

much you care,’ which means I 

respond, no matter the time, to 

demonstrate how much I care. 


Ingrid Resende Eriq Danquah, Mohamed Traore, Edward Mensah, Mamadou Fall Peytann Tamasi 

Yordin, Samantha and their poodle Max 

Mr. Yordin Robinson grew up on the island of Jamaica, 

where track and field is embedded in the culture, alongside 

reggae music and spicy, jerk chicken. His melodious 

accent gives away his roots, while also having a calming 

effect on those around him, which is an asset in his role as 

a College Counselor. 

A talented runner in the 400 and 800 meters as well as 

relay in high school, Yordin received an athletic scholarship 

to attend East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, 

Tennessee. He pursued a bachelor’s degree in business 

management with a minor in athletic coaching; and upon 

earning a master’s degree in counselor education/school 

counseling and guidance services for K-12, accepted 

a job at Oak Park Middle School as a counselor in 

Leesburg, Florida. 

Through his work as a coach at the National Training 

Center, he met Kimberly Brauman, who introduced him to 

Montverde Academy. He was intrigued by the the chance to 

work with high school students and the diversity that MVA 

offered. Now in his fifth year at MVA, he assists about 80 

seniors annually through the college application process, 

along with counseling students and serving as the Title IX 

coordinator. He also continues to pursue his passion for 

coaching, serving as MVA track coach for the long jump, 

triple jump and high jump. 

“We have more than 800 students from all over the world 

in the Upper School, so I love coming in every day to 

something different,” said Yordin. “With so many different 

personalities and cultures, it’s important when you’re helping 

students to let them know that you care and are interested 

in their well-being for them to value your help. I always want 

to be helpful, which can be a downfall as I tend to check 

emails at night or on the weekend, to do my best and 

respond quickly because many of our boarding students are 

far from home. One of the quotes that resonates with me is, 

‘Students don’t care how much you know, until they know 

how much you care,’ which means I respond, no matter the 

time, to demonstrate how much I care.” 

Yordin has noticed a rise in the level of students’ anxiety 

in the past couple of years, which resulted in the school 

counselors launching Wellness Wednesdays for the 

students, along with Mindful Mondays for faculty and staff. 

These programs were created to focus on the importance 

of mental health, and offer tools and activities that promote 

stress relief and mindfulness. 

“Students stress about everything from finding the right 

college and taking tests, to being away from home and 

the typical teenage situations. The school counselors 

introduced Wellness Wednesday as a fun way to remind 

students to take a moment and deliberately focus on 

something calming, such as painting a rock, doing yoga 

or just breathing – simple things that can truly help lessen 

anxiety. The events have been well-received, so we’re 

happy to see the program having an impact,” said Yordin. 

The pace of life in the U.S. is quite different from island 

time, but Yordin has a routine of intentionally planning and 

mentally preparing to be present in his day. He remains 

athletically focused and a life-long learner, he is pursuing 

a Doctoral Degree in educational leadership. He enjoys 

spending his free time travelling (in non-COVID times) and 

working out with Samantha, his wife, a former runner who 

earned a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympic Games 

in the 4x100m relay as part of the Jamaican team. The 

couple has been married for 10 years, but have known each 

other since they were children, and are the proud parents 

of a chocolate poodle named Max. One last thing to know 

about Yordin is that he comes from a large family – he is the 

youngest of 16 children! 


PURSUING PASSION 


EMILY SANTOS 

Emily Santos is a freshman on the swim team who came to Montverde Academy from her 

native Panama to pursue her passion for swimming. Part of an athletic family, Emily had 

participated in gymnastics, soccer, and basketball as hobbies, but swimming was where 

she excelled. At about seven years old, she dedicated her time, energy and focus 

toward swimming. 

Dedicated training became difficult to manage as she got older and academics 

grew more challenging, a full day of school and homework in addition to rigorous 

training sessions was stressful. Having met MVA Swim Coach Guilherme 

Ferreira in her travels on the swimming circuit, Emily and her family decided last 

year to enroll at MVA shortly before COVID-19 disrupted our lives. 

“I love racing with others because I’m competitive and they inspire me to do 

better,” said Emily. “Coming to Montverde Academy has been challenging 

because I miss my family, but in order to really focus and pursue swimming, 

it’s good to be here so I can balance schoolwork with training. I now have the 

time to concentrate on one thing at a time – school time is just as important 

as training time here. I was homesick at first, but it was easy to make friends 

here and it’s nice to have such diversity – everyone is from 

somewhere else it seems, so I don’t feel alone!” 

Emily’s best race is the breast stroke where she 

competes in the 100- and 200-meter races. “At MVA, 

I’m becoming a better overall swimmer. Coach Gui 

is helping me enhance my technique and skills in 

all of the strokes. I would love to compete in the 

Olympics someday as part of the Panamanian 

team. I had a great experience competing at 

the Pan-American games, which is a qualifier 

for the Olympics, so there was really tough 

competition in every race. Being a part of 

those games inspired me to work harder 

on my times in hopes of representing 

Panama in the Olympics.” 

Favorite Book: “What Doesn’t Kill Us,” by 

Scott Carney 

“This is my favorite book because it has 

taught me a lot about how to work with 

myself as an athlete,” said Emily. 


KENDYL CARDWELL 

Kendyl Cardwell never stops smiling. Really. She’s a bundle 

of positive energy who positively effects those around her. 

Consistently on the honor roll since arriving at MVA in seventh 

grade, in October she earned the honor of becoming a 

National Merit Semifinalist and was awarded the South Lake 

Chamber of Commerce’s Ray Goodgame Outstanding Student 

Leader Award. In addition to an academic load of AP and 

honors courses, she is a Distinguished Scholar and a member 

of the Head of School Leadership Institute serving on the Arts 

and Athletics Leadership Committee, Math Club, and founder, 

editor and writer on the Newspaper Club. 

She plans to attend the University of Chicago to study 

molecular engineering. “I really find science interesting,” said 

Kendyl. “When I took the AP courses in Chemistry and Physics, 

I discovered that I love applying science to everyday life. Using 

my creativity and problem-solving skills and merging them 

with logic and science is something I’ve become passionate 

about. Knowing that about myself led me to Chicago – what 

the University is doing in the field of molecular engineering is 

amazing. With sub-tracks like immuno-engineering, I love how 

its applications affect people’s lives in a positive way.” 

Kendyl also loves running. As part of an athletic family, she 

began running as early as six. Her Mom, formerly a professional 

cyclist, is a tri-athlete with a competitive streak, something 

that Kendyl has inherited. As a student-athlete, she has been 

the team captain of MVA’s cross country team for three years; 

is the track and field team’s distance team captain; and has 

earned accolades of three-time State medalist, MVP and 

multiple leadership awards. 

“Running has been a part of my life for as long as I can 

remember. Over the seven years that I have run on MVA teams, 

I have grown very close to my teammates and coaches. 

Because running is scored as a team and an individual sport, 

I have been able to chase my goals while still supporting our 

team’s goals. The simplicity of running helps me clear my head 

and focus. I’ve grown to love the smaller moments in training, 

as well as the big race. This appreciation of the journey and 

recognizing how important a good mindset is, has allowed 

me to continue with the same passion I had in Middle School. 

The way running taught me to focus on the process and not 

just the destination, has greatly influenced how I approach all 

aspects of my life.” 

“I love my teammates, my coaches and my teachers here. 

Montverde Academy has given me so many opportunities to 

apply and use the skills I’ve learned. It is a unique place where 

you can pursue your passion, they don’t stifle who you are, 

they help you chase and achieve your dreams.” 

‘To give anything less than your 

best, is to sacrifice the gift’ by Steve 

Prefontaine is a cliché running quote 

from a famous distance runner so it’s 

on the back of basically every team 

t-shirt, but I still love it. It reminds me 

to give my best in every moment, no 

matter how small it is. I never want 

to waste the time or opportunities I 

am given by not trying to reach my 

full potential. 


BENJAMIN GUNASEKERA 

A focused young man, Benjamin’s quiet demeanor belies the 

fierce competitor that he is. What began as a past-time, has 

become a passion for the Class of 2021 senior. A friend, now 

teammate, approached him in eighth grade to start and be a part 

of an Upper School robotics team. Benjamin agreed and four 

years later, he’s focused on reaching the World competition. 

“This year is going really well so far,” said Benjamin. “We missed 

going to the World competition last year by one, yes just one 

point. It was painful and hugely disappointing to miss by one 

point. This year, we’re looking to win at States and then qualify 

and compete at World.” 

His team has been competing together since freshman year, 

so they have the advantage of knowing who has what strength 

and have built a great deal of trust in each other. As part of the 

robotics team, Benjamin is adept at programming and drives their 

robot during competitions. “We know how to delegate and assign 

tasks, so that saves time. Initially, the robotics team just sounded 

fun, but now it’s become a passion. We have a great team 

dynamic and have become like a family with traditions that make it 

fun and more than just a class or club activity.” 

Benjamin is a Clermont native who came to MVA from a 

Montessori school, which is known as a very individual, selfdirected 

method of education. His family felt switching to MVA 

was a good option as the Academy’s culture would provide a 

smooth transition for him, which was true as Benjamin settled 

in quickly. 

He is in the STEM Study Area Concentration diploma program, 

taking four Advanced Placement classes this year. His passion 

for robotics along with a growing interest in physics led him to 

investigate engineering and consider pursuing applied physics 

in college. An adept student, he was named to the College 

Board National Programs list as a National Rural and Small Town 

Scholar, which recognizes students who have scored in the top 

2.5 percent of PSAT/NMSQT test takers and have a cumulative 

3.5 GPA by the middle of their junior year. 

“Being recognized is a mark of progress that confirms that I’m on 

the right track with academics,” said Benjamin about the honor. 

“It’s not the pinnacle of achievement, but it’s a good reminder for 

me that there’s room for improvement. Whether it is in academics 

or in robotics competition, I like to be challenged – it’s what drives 

me to do better.” 


CALEB HOUSTAN 

Caleb Houstan loves basketball. He was introduced to the game 

by one of his good friends when he was just five years old, and 

hasn’t put the basketball down since. Through tremendous 

dedication, sacrificing being with family as he’s been a boarding 

student at MVA since his freshman year, and commitment to his 

goals, he is making the most of his opportunities. 

Currently, Caleb is the No. 10-ranked player in the 2021 high 

school class, according to ESPN. In addition to being a formidable 

competitor on the court, he is a dedicated student, and has 

signed a National Letter of Intent to attend and play basketball for 

the University of Michigan. Which positions him to achieve one of 

his dream goals, playing in the NCAA. 

“Basketball is something I love to do,” said Caleb. “Training 

doesn’t seem like work to me because I am so passionate 

about improving my game. In the short-term, I hope to achieve 

an undefeated season with the team and win a National 

Championship. My long-term goal is to play in the NBA. Being 

at Montverde Academy has made me more independent and 

mature being that I’m on my own away from my parents. On the 

basketball side, it has helped me get better being coached by 

the best coach in the country, playing with the top players in the 

country and competing with them in practice every day.” 

When asked how has his life has been enriched by pursuing his 

passion for basketball, he is grateful for the experiences that 

have enriched his life. “I have met some amazing people both 

from a coach and player perspective. I have been fortunate to 

have basketball show me places I might never have seen through 

traveling all over the United States and Canada to play; and to 

other parts of the world like Argentina, Brazil and Mexico – with 

the Canadian National Team.” 

Favorite quote and why does it inspire you? 

“If you do not believe in yourself, no one will do it for you.” 

– Kobe Bryant 

“My family, friends, coaches – I know they all believe in me, but 

the quote reminds me that it all starts with me. You need to 

believe in yourself first before others can believe in you. I believe 

that if I put in the work – great things will happen.” 


BRANDEN KRISTEL 

Brandon Kristel is a seventh-grade student in his 

second year at Montverde Academy. He is easy to talk 

with and you can tell he’s smiling behind his mask. 

With a passion for soccer and mind on his future, 

he partnered with his brother, Andrew Gegvataj (’18) 

to start a business selling face masks to combat 

COVID-19. With an interest in design, Brandon 

embarked on the process of creating a lightweight, 

comfortable mask that had six different designs to 

appeal to a broad audience. 

“I wanted to create a mask that was comfortable 

enough to wear all day and looked good,” said 

Brandon. “We had a number of prototypes that used 

different materials before we chose our design, which 

is nylon and spandex with an adjustable wire to fit over 

the nose properly. Then we used different colors and 

designs to make them unique. The masks cost $10 

each and are sold online at offmaskonline.com. My 

favorite is the Essential Workers Workers Club – which 

reminds me to work hard at everything thing you do.” 

In addition to his entrepreneurial spirit, Brandon is 

passionate about soccer. He gets very serious and 

intense when talking about how much he loves the 

sport and the training he does for it. The sport is in his 

blood as he started playing at three-years-old, often 

playing with his older brother and his friends who were 

17 when he was seven. That experience definitely 

gave him some confidence when competing with older 

players on the pitch. He participates in the Soccer 

Academy at Montverde Academy (SIMA). His talent 

and ability have earned him a place as part of the U14 

U.S. National Team pool, and he plays on the U14 

U.S. Soccer Development Academy through Orlando 

City Soccer. 

“The learning environment is great and being a part 

of SIMA lets me balance school work, homework 

and soccer training. Since my brother was in SIMA, 

I’ve known the coaches and seen how they develop 

players, which is really important to me. I train a lot 

and have a long way to go, but getting to play every 

day with others who are training hard to get better, 

is making me improve my skills to become a better 

player. I also really like that students are from all over 

the world, since my family is diverse as well. My Mom 

is from Brazil, my Dad is American, my grandmother 

is from Egypt, my grandfather from Romania, and my 

stepdad is Belgian. My family and I love Montverde 

Academy, the teachers and the SIMA program.” 


LUCAS STREZNETCKY 

The roar of the motor and excitement of the race is what motivates Lucas Streznetcky to improve his skills as a motocross 

racer. His father shared his love of motocross by giving Lucas his first dirt bike when he was five years old. After his first 

race at age seven, he hasn’t stopped pursuing his passion. 

“I’m very competitive and I compete with friends a lot, which led me to start racing for real,” said Lucas, a fifth-grade 

student. “My parents are very supportive. When I race it takes up the whole weekend, we leave on Friday in our RV, 

practice six or seven times on Saturday and then we race all day on Sunday. I work really hard to get better. My Dad helps 

me practice and Mom gives me confidence and motivates me.” 

Being an amateur racer takes a huge commitment of time and resources. Lucas trains almost daily when preparing for 

racing season, and still has to find time for homework. “I think people would be surprised at how heavy the dirt bike is and 

how hard it is to control it in the air. My dirt bike weighs 150 pounds and I weigh 85 pounds, so you have to be really strong 

to be good at this – that’s why I work so hard,” he said. 

Lucas competes in two groups with two different motorcycles the 65cc 7-9-year-olds, and with 

the 85cc 9-11-year-olds, racing at speeds of 35-50 miles per hour on a dirt track that has 

jumps, ruts and hills to navigate with up to 20-40 other racers at the same time. No small feat 

and not for the faint of heart! “Even though I’ve broken bones and chipped a tooth, my Mom 

still tells me I can do anything if I just try my best. I focus on what’s ahead, not behind and 

keep building my confidence to do jumps and not think about it being dangerous. I want 

to go back to Lorretta’s again to do better with a goal to go pro.” 

Loretta’s is the annual Amateur National Motocross at singer Loretta 

Lynn’s ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. In this highly competitive race that 

riders qualify for, Lucas finished 12th and 16th in his classes out of 

42 riders. “As parents, we enjoy his enthusiasm and commitment to 

his sport,” said Rose and Jeff Streznetcky, his parents. “We know 

education is essential and we have a nice balance among school 

at MVA, training and racing that works. Lucas’ motocross 

journey has reinforced values of playing fair, following rules, 

setting short- and long-term goals, practicing personal 

responsibility while losing with dignity, and 

winning with grace.” 

Favorite quote and why does it inspire you? 

“11” Eleven is important to me because when I raced 

at Loretta’s, I was in 10th place but got 

pushed back. I was really angry 

that I got pushed out of the place 

that I worked for, but now 11 

reminds me to work harder. 

THE TOWER | WINTER 2020 21

Sports Wrap Up FALL AND EARLY WINTER 

By Cole Kellogg, Sports Information Director and the Sports Media Class 

THE CITRUS LEAGUE 

Montverde Academy joined together with five other independent 

schools from around Central Florida this fall season to form The 

Citrus League, a competitive group for student-athletes in response 

to COVID-19. Joining the Academy in The Citrus League are 

Bishop Moore Catholic, Lake Highland Preparatory School, The 

First Academy, Trinity Preparatory School, and Windermere 

Preparatory School. 

SWIMMING - by Jaiden Muramatsu 

This season, our swim team competed in virtual meets with five 

other schools in the Citrus League, where everyone swam in their 

home pools. In the 2A FHSAA District meet, our boys and girls teams 

defended our District Championship title and broke several school 

records along the way. The girls were also the reigning champions 

at the 2A FHSAA Regional Championship, and the boys came in 

a close second. This year we had 13 athletes qualify for the State 

Championship. Freshman Emily Santos placed third in her individual 

event, the 100-meter breaststroke, and sophomore Brennan 

Muramatsu placed second in both the 100-meter free and 100-meter 

back stroke. In their final meet of the season, the girls team placed 

seventh overall, and the boys placed tenth overall in the State 

Championship. 

GOLF - by Sammy Hayes 

The golf team put in an outstanding performance this year, players 

turned in some amazing individual achievements. Senior BK Kim tied 

for fourth at the FHSAA State Championship, with sophomore Mia 

Hornberger also representing Montverde Academy well at the event. 

Hornberger has made quite the name for herself in her short career 

at MVA. She placed first overall in three out of four regular season 

matches. For the second year a row, both boys and girls teams 

advanced from Districts to Regionals. Each team placed second at 

their respective District contests. 

CROSS COUNTRY - by Bella Fallon 

Montverde Academy’s girls cross country team took the 2A State 

Championship runner-up title at Apalachee Regional Park in 

Tallahassee, Fla. This marks the highest-ever finish for our girls 

cross country program. Junior student-athlete Lily Henne made 

the All-State team with a fifth-place overall finish. Thank you to 

senior student-athletes Kendyl Cardwell, Brianna Hiers, and Avery 

Morrison for their incredible work and leadership throughout this 

memorable season. On the boys side, sophomore Colton Cardwell 

finished a terrific individual season by placing 54th overall at the State 

Championship. 

VOLLEYBALL - by Riti Patel 

The volleyball team fought hard amidst difficult circumstances this 

season, ending up with a record of 4-8. It was a shorter season 

for the girls, with their first two matches in the Citrus League being 

cancelled due to COVID-19 interruptions. The program generated 

enough interest from newcomers to support a new JV team, though, 

and we’re excited to see how the program builds in the coming years. 


GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY SUCCESS 


Montverde Academy’s girls cross country team earned a 

fantastic finish to their season by earning second place at 

the 2A State Championship. The girls competed among the 

best in Florida at the meet hosted at Apalachee Regional 

Park in Tallahassee, Fla. This win marks the highest-ever 

finish for our girls cross country program that has been 

highly successful with 10 State series titles achieved in the 

last five years. 

Congratulations go to Lily Henne, junior student-athlete, 

who achieved a fifth-place overall finish and earned 

a position on the All-State team. Three more Eagles 

earned times that placed them in the Top 30 overall – 

congratulations to Kendyl Cardwell, Jayci Brauman, and 

Karah White for running well. The team has also been 

named to the Florida High School Athletic Association Fall 

Academic Champions Team. 

This team has consistently achieved success earning four 

consecutive District titles, five consecutive Regional titles, a 

Top Four state finish, two Top Three State finishes, and this 

year’s first State Runner-Up title in the past five years. Their 

dedication to the sport is evident in their methodical training, 

collectively logging more than 11,000 miles in preparation 

for the 2020 XC season alone. 

The athletic accomplishments are notable, but not the 

only achievements of note for this academically talented 

team. Overall, the unweighted team GPA is a 3.84, which 

skyrockets to 4.36 weighted. Collectively, these ladies have 

taken 72 Advanced Placement revised courses and two 

Kendyl and Avery, are National Merit Scholars. These ladies 

are also dedicated to serving others in the community and 

have accumulated nearly 1,000 hours of volunteerism! 

“Unlike other sports, much of cross country training is done 

outside the watchful eye of a coach, fostering self-discipline 

and self-motivation in athletes, and this group of girls 

illustrates that discipline and intrinsic motivation in everything 

they do,” said Coach Lori Treweek. “They understand the 

importance of goal setting, academically and athletically, 

have experience measuring their progress and in learning 

patience. In running, the process lays the foundation for 

success. It has taught and continues to educate them, 

myself included, about humility and composure. Not every 

practice or race is our best, but if we are diligent and trust 

the process, growth follows. Running teaches us that there 

are no shortcuts to accomplishment. For this group of girls, 

that lesson pervades everything that they do. Their poise 

always impresses and inspires me. They didn’t allow the 

process or progress to stop because of the challenges 

we have faced over the last 12 months. They continue to 

grow through adversity and understand that the little things 

prepare us for the big. I am grateful to have been a part of 

their process.” 

Congratulations to the team for their incredible work in this 

memorable season. 


NATIONAL SIGNING DAY 

Congratulations to our MVA student-ahtletes who signed National Letters of Intent, earning almost $1.7 million in full and 

partial scholarships. 

1 2 3 4 

5 6 7 8 

9 10 11 

1. Mariana Valenzuela 

2. Maria Tregansin 

3. DaRon Holms 

4. Ryan Nembhard 

5. Isabella Recinos 

6. Caleb Houstan 

7. Ja’Vier Francis 

8. Justin Colon 

9. Mia Asenjo 

10. Langston Love 

11. Niveya Henley 


Coach Boyle Named Naismith High 

School Coach of the Year 


Kevin Boyle, Head Coach of the Montverde Academy Boys Varsity 

Basketball team, was presented with the Jersey Mike's Naismith High 

School Coach of the Year award for 2020. This is the third time Coach 

Boyle has earned this prestigious award, tying for the most won by any 

high school coach. 

"I’m humbled to receive the Naismith Coach of the Year Award, and I'd 

like to thank those who helped make this happen," said Boyle. "I’d like to 

thank Kelly, my wife, for her vision and support; Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, 

Montverde Academy Head of School, for building a great culture on 

campus that promotes excellence in academics as well as athletics; and 

Rae Miller, my great friend and loyal Assistant Coach, for his continued 

dedication to achieving the highest potential possible in everything 

we do." 

Coach Boyle has won the Naismith award twice in the last three 

years at the Academy. This year, he shared the honor with one 

of his players, Cade Cunningham (’20), who earned the 2020 

Naismith Player of the Year award, and in 2018, RJ Barrett 

(’18), MVA alumnus and New York Knick player, also won the 

Naismith. The MVA Eagles Varsity team finished their 2020 

season with a perfect 25-0 record, averaging a 39-point margin 

over their opponents. 

This is sixth time Coach Boyle has earned a National High 

School Coach of the Year award. An experienced coach who 

has trained the likes of NBA players such as Ben Simmons 

(’15), D’Angelo Russell (’14) and Barrett, Coach Boyle was 

recognized by MaxPreps as National Coach of the Decade, and 

the MVA Eagles team declared Team of 

the Decade. 

Coach Boyle has developed nine first-round NBA picks, with 

six of those players going within the top three picks of the NBA 

Draft, and four players being selected as NBA All-Stars. Boyle 

currently has 24 former players playing basketball professionally 

across 13 countries. He brings his knowledge and training 

expertise to student-athletes from all over the world as the 

Founder and Director of the Montverde Academy Center for 

Basketball Development. As part of this advanced basketball 

training program, student-athletes pursue rigorous academics 

balanced with focused development of their on- court 

fundamentals, technique and athletic capabilities to achieve the 

highest potential possible both academically and athletically. 

The program has a 100 percent college acceptance rate with 

more than 30 student-athletes earning scholarships to play 

collegiate basketball. 


MVA STRONG 

CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT 



We are amidst unprecedented times. In order to return to school in the safest way 

possible, Dr. Kesselring, MVA Head of School, created a COVID-19 Response Team, 

comprised of physicians, nurses, athletic trainers, school counselors, Deans, and key 

staff, to build an executable plan to return to school. Questions like – What should we 

put in place to get back to in-person school safely? How do we mix boarding and day 

students? What are the regulations? How do we handle quarantine for boarding and 

day students, as well as faculty and staff? and many more questions – were asked, 

answered and planned for. 

Twelve physicians, who are also parents of MVA students, 

volunteered their time, serving as the experts who answered 

questions in our plan-building process. It was Monica 

Castro and Tiffani Law, MVA nurses; Jason Torres, Justin 

Arroyo and Stephen Saavedra, athletic training team; and 

Kim Brauman, Associate Dean of the Upper School/Director 

of Curriculum, doing research, creating protocols, finding 

equipment, administering tests, and much more. 

“This is a public health crisis, so the science is important 

and keeping up with the information that is constantly 

changing is challenging, but our school community has 

embraced the protocols,” said Monica Castro, MVA Nurse. 

“We are proof that our diligence and protocols – wearing a 

mask, cleaning surfaces constantly, washing hands, among 

others – all of these practices have contributed to keeping 

our students, faculty and staff as healthy as possible.” 

“We were working and communicating constantly as a 

group through the summer to be ready to execute our plan,” 

said Tiffani Law, MVA Nurse. “There were supplies to order 

– touchless thermometers, Personal Protective Equipment, 

COVID-19 tests, hand sanitizer – treatment processes to 

build, schedules to coordinate, and research daily. Now 

that school is in session, it’s great to see it all moving and 

working to keep everyone safe.” 

With more than 450+ athletes training per season, the 

Athletic Trainers played a key role in the COVID-19 

Response Team, alongside the Nurses, researching how to 

build pods or bubbles for teams, developing the Safety App 

questionnaire, helping to plan for how boarding students in 

quarantine would be handled, and more. “Anything healthrelated 

we talked about, researched and tried to plan for,” 

said Justin Arroyo, athletic trainer. “When everyone was 

in quarantine, we were providing virtual rehab and telemedicine 

to student-athletes, which shifted to planning for 

what sports and the arts could look like when we returned 

to in-person activities. It was challenging to determine the 

contract tracing, how to reduce the number of student- 

Members of the COVID-19 Response Team: Back row - Jason Torres, Dr. John Hayes , Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, 

Dr. James Tanis, Stephen Saavedra, Khrystal Phiri. Front row - Tiffani Law, Dr. Angeles Otero, Dr. Nelisa LeLane, 

Monica Castro, Kim Brauman 


athletes or performers in places at the same time, wearing 

masks when, and so on. Being part of the COVID-19 

Response team and the Health & Wellness team has been a 

great collaborative effort.” 

“I knew I wanted to work with high school-aged students 

who are more receptive to suggestions, but I had no idea 

how big or immersive the experience here would be,” said 

Jason Torres, Head Athletic Trainer. “We work closely with 

the nurses and physicians to test students for COVID-19, 

monitor those in quarantine and then ensure when students 

do return after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, that they’re 

closely monitored. We also help communicate – when 

a student is in quarantine they’re stressed, their families 

are stressed – it can be overwhelming. We’ve pooled our 

resources to get the MVA community through this and we’ll 

be stronger for it.” 

When the team had drafted the protocols and identified 

equipment needs, Mr. Brad Long, Director of Finance and 

Operations, and his team shifted into high gear to order 

everything that was needed and begin the process of 

preparing campus. 

“We had to investigate and order everything from the hand 

sanitizer, sanitizer stations, PPE, and directional stickers to 

thermometers, plexiglass, SWIVL technology, and more,” 

said Mr. Long. “Once items were ordered, we closely 

monitored expected delivery dates for it all as not everything 

was readily available, so then I was networking with other 

schools and contacting different vendors to be sure we 

would receive everything and install it all to be ready for 

school to start. The delay in our return was key to our timing 

and ability to make it all work for the safety of our campus 

opening. We decided to cancel a majority of our summer 

programs and camps across the board to focus on making 

campus safe for everyone to return.” 

Once the equipment arrived, the Maintenance Department 

played a key role in getting the physical campus prepared: 

ensuring signage on the floors and doors was in place, 

erecting Plexiglass in the dining hall and classrooms, 

installing UV lights and filters, setting up sanitizing stations, 

and doing a deep clean of all classrooms, dormitories, 

gyms, transportation vehicles and common areas. Since 

school has started, the department also ensures that 

scheduled cleaning and disinfecting fogging is taking place 

as part of our protocols. 

“The amount of time, effort and resources that MVA has 

dedicated to challenges that COVID-19 has presented is 

extraordinary, but our top priority is the health and safety 

of our students, faculty, staff, and community,” said Dr. 

Kesselring. “I want to thank our COVID-19 Response Team, 

and those who made things happen behind the scenes 

such as our maintenance team who installed equipment 

and are cleaning daily, for their dedication to this project. We 

remain diligent in our protocols, hopeful the vaccine will help 

and will continue to keep everyone apprised of changes. I 

look forward to the time we can put this all behind us and 

return to ‘normal.’” 

Face recogition and temperature check 

Use of SWIVL in the classroom 


BE SWANKY. BE THERE. 

Join us for That’s Entertainment! our 17th Annual Celebrating Education 

fundraising event! Swanky surroundings, savoring a sumptuous supper – come 

and chill in a classic club vibe, entertained by MVA’s Fine Arts Department, and 

topped off with our fabulous silent and live auctions. A night not to be missed! 

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! 

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021 

6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. 

Clermont Performing Arts Center 

3700 South Hwy 27 

Clermont, Florida 34711 

For sponsorship information, email 

kalena.meyers@montverde.org 


PROTECT 

By Mary-Kay Rath, 

Executive Director of Arts Alliance 

We know this year is vastly different 

than any other year in Montverde 

Academy’s 108-year history. In response 

to ever-changing circumstances, MVA 

implemented changes and protocols 

to ensure we are equipped to safely 

maintain in-person classes and offer 

virtual instruction. 

Our Advancement Team, with help from faculty, staff and 

student volunteers, took to the telephones to call and 

connect with EVERY MVA family. We asked parents to 

share their perceptions as to how MVA has responded 

to COVID-19 through the implemented policies and 

procedures; to ensure their children were adjusting to the 

“new” normal; and to bring awareness to the PROTECT 

MVA Fund. 

percent of the $743,000 unbudgeted operating expenses 

that are a direct result of COVID-19. Safety enhancements 

include disinfecting fog machines and HVAC Infrared 

Air Handlers; retrofitting campus with plexiglass, face 

recognition stations and thermometers; and purchasing 

COVID-19 tests, protective equipment, cleaning supplies, 

and hand sanitizer. As of December, with the support of 

more than 260 Montverde Academy families, faculty and 

staff we are 89 percent to meeting the $225,000 goal. 

Gifts can be made on-line at Montverde.org/support-mva/ 

protect-mva or by contacting the Development Office. It 

is not the size of the gift that is important, but rather it is 

the act of giving and being a part of the effort that makes a 

difference. Your commitment to PROTECT MVA strengthens 

our capacity to ensure student, faculty and staff safety; to 

offer learning platforms that meet everyone’s current needs; 

and to exceed the recommended CDC protocols in hopes 

of a quicker return to campus for all. 

Responses have been overwhelmingly positive! 

Class of 2020 

The PROTECT MVA fund was established to help cover 30 


MIDDLE SCHOOL 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE 

By Mary-Kay Rath, Executive Director of Arts Alliance 

BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIG 

In 2018, Montverde Academy launched its Time to Lead campaign with a goal of raising $5 million for the construction of a 

two-story, 38,894 square foot Middle School with an adjoining gymnasium. Through the generosity of the MVA community 

and fundraising efforts, we have raised $3.6 million and have $1.6 million more in pledges committed. Gifts ranging from 

$100 to $1 million were made by MVA alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends. 

We hope to move our 225 Middle School students into their new “home” in early 2021. The new building features 16 

classrooms, three state-of-the-art science laboratories, a gymnasium, stage, conference room, teacher’s lounges, and 

locker rooms. The new facility will better accommodate our growing Middle School population, greatly enhance the overall 

learning environment and provide collaborative work space. 

Naming opportunities for individuals, corporations and foundations are still available. As a contributor, you have the 

unique opportunity to leave a lasting legacy on campus by naming a space within the building. The naming opportunities 

acknowledge the generous investment made 

by donors and their commitment to the 

success of all Monteverde Academy students. 

Naming Opportunities Available: 

Middle School Gymnasium - $500,000 

Gymnasium Scoreboard - $50,000 

Theatre Stage - $50,000 

Science Lab - $75,000 

Classrooms - $50,000 

Concession/Common Area - $25,000 

Conference Room - $25,000 

Locker Room (Boys) - $25,000 

Locker Room (Girls) - $25,000 

Teacher’s Lounge First Floor - $25,000 

PATHWAY TO LEADERSHIP 

The Pathway to Leadership campaign allows both current families 

and alumni to leave a legacy at the new Middle School. Eighthgrade 

students in the Leadership and Service Learning class 

wanted to create a fundraising initiative that would support the new 

building and have a physical reminder of support. They launched 

the brick fundraising effort in April 2020, and now the Alumni 

Association Board is helping in the last push for support. The last 

day to purchase a commemorative brick is January 15, 2021. 

Montverde Academy has a rich history of which you are a part. As 

you fondly recall the special memories of MVA, please consider 

participating in this campaign to leave a legacy here by purchasing 

a customized brick. 


Leading the Way 

Leadership in Action in the Middle School 


From left to right: Builder's Club - Vaasu Gadiparthi (President), Carine 

Hayes (Vice President), Brooke Burton (Vice President), Christian Perez 

(Treasurer), and Akylah Shirley (Secretary) 


“A good leader inspires people to have 

confidence in the leader, a great leader 

inspires people to have confidence in 

themselves.” – Eleanor Roosevelt 

Middle School students enter sixth grade ready to gain more 

independence, more knowledge and more responsibility 

as they continue to grow. Mr. Paul Quick, Dean of the 

Middle School, and Dr. Rachel Adams, Assistant Dean of 

the Middle School, have created a culture and community 

of Caring, emphasizing public displays of Understanding 

and fashioning Engaging and Empowering classroom 

experiences for students – called #CUE2 for short. It’s the 

core philosophy in the Middle School and leadership is a 

strong theme throughout. 

A great introduction to leadership for Middle School 

students is participation in Builder’s Club, an international 

student-led organization (affiliated with Kiwanis International) 

that provides members with opportunities to perform 

service, build character and develop leadership skills. 

Builder’s Club is open to any Middle School student who 

is willing to work hard and wants to help others by serving 

their school and community. Mrs. Courtney Williams, 

Middle School Social Studies teacher, is in her third year as 

the Builder’s Club advisor and enjoys seeing the students 

grow and develop as leaders throughout the year. 

“I love seeing the students really understanding why 

we do something and actively participating in projects 

where they can enjoy the fruits of their labor,” said Mrs. 

Williams. “Over the course of the year, you can see 

students become more comfortable taking initiative. Their 

organization, communication and time-management skills 

improve the more they work together to accomplish their 

goals. It’s wonderful to watch this group come together to 

help others.” 

The Club is a student-driven organization where Mrs. 

Williams serves as a coach, providing feedback and 

assistance. Students come up with one project a month to 

focus on. It could be creating and hosting a fundraiser such 

as Pinktober, where the funds the Club raises are donated 

to the Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation, to the annual 

collection of food in November or a service project such 

as students volunteering time to clean up a local park or 

bake and deliver cookies to local fire fighters and police 

officers. Students do all the planning, delegating of tasks, 

researching non-profits or projects to support, getting 

appropriate permission, and more. 

"I think it’s important to participate in volunteer-based 

organizations because it helps build character," said Vaasu 

Gadiparthi, president of MVA Builder’s Club. "Sometimes 

volunteering doesn’t feel like volunteering because you 

know you helped the world. I enjoy the intrinsic reward that 

makes volunteering a great experience. I will use these 

leadership skills my entire life. Whether it’s building a team 

as a manager of a company or a martial arts teacher, 

leadership is one the most essential skills one can learn 

anytime in their life." 

“We have a multifaceted goal – we want students see the 

value of time, feel the impact of their work and understand 

the importance of being an active member in their 

community who can make a difference for others. We are 

planting seeds in young students who are growing and 

maturing. We want them to reach their full potential, wellequipped 

to be a confident, effective leader as an adult,” 

said Mrs. Williams. 

If your actions inspire 

others to dream more, learn 

more, do more, and become 

more, you are a leader. 

“John Quincy Adams 

” 

To continue to build leadership skills, a Leadership and 

Service Learning Class was created for eighth-grade 

students, led by Mrs. Laura Fagan, Middle School Social 

Studies teacher. The class is described as a studentcentered, 

student-driven elective that allows students to 

design, plan and execute service-learning projects to inspire 

positive change within and beyond the MVA community. It’s 

a rigorous class that studies many aspects of leadership 

to include the seven leadership styles, characteristics of a 

leader, project planning, and more. 

“We dive deeply into the what and why of leadership, 

so students discover and evolve their leadership and 

collaborative skills as well as their character in this class,” 

said Mrs. Fagan. “Through research, targeted TED talks, 

projects, and coaching, students build a personal toolkit 

over the course of a year that will prepare them to be lifelong 

learners and well-equipped leaders.” 

A major aspect of the class is service projects. Students 

identify areas of need at MVA and in the Montverde 

community, State of Florida, United States, and the world 

from which they then form groups and choose a project 

to pitch that addresses a need. One current pitch focuses 


on raising funds for underprivileged children and families. 

Students created and pitched Casual for a Cause, a casualdress 

day that students would pay $3 to participate in with 

funds being donated to a different charity monthly. 

“I chose this elective because I have a passion for helping 

others and think it’s important to give back,” said Gabrielle 

Gordon, an eighth-grade student in the class. “Through 

this class I can gather and research information about 

leadership, and incorporate what I’ve learned into my own 

style. This class gives me a safe place to try things and be 

creative, as well as make mistakes without being judged, so 

I can learn and grow from the experience.” 

Students put a great deal of time and effort into the planning 

process using tools provided by Mrs. Fagan to develop a 

timeline, design the why, how and who questions that go 

along with the project. The group creates a presentation to 

pitch to Mr. Quick or even Dr. Kesselring, to get permission 

to execute the fundraiser or initiative. If approved, the group 

then executes the plan, giving them hands-on experience 

with budgeting, marketing, collaboration, customer service, 

and problem solving as they execute the project. Upon 

completion, students participate in reflective practices to 

discuss and identify evidence of positive impact and growth. 

“The students really dig into the 12 steps of project 

planning. They typically don’t realize how much effort 

goes into planning and executing a project. For instance, 

we’re in the process of relaunching the Eagles Lead Café 

which is open during break for students to buy candy and 

snacks, and the proceeds go toward the Time to Lead 

campaign for the new Middle School. A store sounds pretty 

straightforward, but it actually has many steps – deciding 

on and purchasing the items to sell, setting up and staffing 

the store, securing cash to make change, handling the 

customers, determining profit, budgeting to restock, and 

debriefing to determine what did or did not work. It’s a 

lengthy process and students are responsible to do it all 

with me coaching where needed,” said Mrs. Fagan. 

Projects like the Café or Casual for a Cause are fundraisers, 

but there are also projects that raise awareness or inspire 

kindness. One project is focusing on coaching students 

in mindfulness and the possible negative effects of social 

media. Students are doing research, surveying other 

students and preparing a presentation that they will pitch 

to Mr. Quick with the goal of doing a presentation of their 

awareness campaign to the entire Middle School during an 

assembly. The hands-on work required for these projects 

helps students develop useful skills such as effective 

public speaking, critical-thinking, collaboration, empathy, 

entrepreneurship, and reflective practices. 

“Mrs. Fagan is such an impactful and amazing teacher and 

person who inspires me to learn and be a leader through 

the way she teaches and conducts herself,” said Chris 

Cardwell, a student in the class. “I always want to grow my 

character and build my skills to lead, and this class helps 

me do that. I’ve learned about the different leadership styles 

and how each one is effective with different people. I now 

understand that to get the best results, I may have to adapt 

my leadership style and use empathy to encourage positive 

responses from others.” 

The class is an eighth-grade elective where students 

interested in taking the class must participate in an 

application process at the conclusion of seventh grade. 

Students have also had a hand in developing that process. 

Seventh grade students interested in taking the class 

must submit an application to the eighth-grade panel, who 

reviews the applications and makes their recommendations 

to the Administrative team. 

“The focus of leadership in our Middle School is ‘servant 

leadership,’ and planting the seed for service cannot 

happen too early in a child’s life,” said Mr. Paul Quick, 

Dean of the Middle School. “The Builder’s Club and the 

Leadership and Service Learning class provide authentic 

opportunities for students to lead initiatives that positively 

impact the school community as well as the greater Lake 

County area. These groups give students a means for 

practicing the processes of ideation, creation, promotion, 

execution, and evaluation – all skills that good leaders 

possess and use to successfully reach their goals.” 

MVA’s Middle School students are taking leadership 

seriously and actively preparing to take on leadership 

opportunities as they move into the Upper School. 

Cadence Whitehouse 


Dylan Boba, Carine Hayes, and Dr. Long 

MIDDLE SCHOOL GLOBAL LEARNING 


“Science is better together.” – Marilé Colon Robles 

Montverde Academy began working with NASA and 

the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the 

Environment (GLOBE) program last year, focusing on 

recording cloud observations. Through this science and 

education program that helps us better understand Earth 

as a system, Dr. Caryn Long, science teacher, and her 

students execute protocols to collect scientific data on 

a daily basis. Students collect and upload environmental 

data, such as the contrails of aircraft traffic in the area, 

temperature, cloud cover, and weather conditions 

using the GLOBE Observer or GO app. NASA provides 

additional information via the app that measures and 

records conditions from a satellite down to Earth. All of the 

collected data is used in research by scientists all over 

the world. 

The partnership has continued this year with students 

collecting data. In addition, Dylan Boba and Carine Hayes, 

sixth-grade students, were chosen to interview Mrs. Marilé 

Colón Robles, Project Scientist for GLOBE Clouds. The 

students focused on Mrs. Colón Robles for an assignment 

in photojournalism class. 

“The photojournalism class created wonderful work, and 

I was so impressed with the work, I shared a few pieces 

with Mrs. Colón Robles,” said Dr. Long. “She liked it so 

much, she and her team pursued the idea of a scientist 

and students interviewing each other to be featured on the 

GLOBE website.” 

“I love the fact that while these young women are interested 

in science, they also focused on me as an entire person 

and how that affects my work,” said Mrs. Colón Robles. 

The students and Dr. Long practiced with Mrs. Colón 

Robles via Teams in preparation for the filming to get timing 

and question order down. 

Questions that Dylan and Carine asked Mrs. Colón Robles 

included, “Why did you want to become a NASA scientist? 

What do you like to do for fun? What advice do you have 

for students interested in science-based careers? What 

would you be if you weren’t a scientist?” The group worked 

well together and had a great interaction. 

The interview was recorded and featured on the 

GLOBE website. 


Head of School’s Leadership 

Institute Leads by Example 


Members of HLI at the Leadership Retreat 

Leadership is part of Montverde 

Academy’s mission statement, which 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 Head of School’s 

Leadership Institute, or HLI, was created 

with the intentional purpose of providing 

students with unique opportunities to 

pursue leadership studies. 

Mr. John Weaver, Dean of Students, took on the task of 

enhancing the HLI program when he first arrived at MVA 

as Assistant Dean of Students for Multicultural Programs, 

Community Service and Student Leadership Programs. 

He revised the program to consolidate leadership groups 

and incorporate leadership into different areas of student 

life to benefit and engage more students. The HLI is now 

an umbrella of sorts for seven different groups on campus 

that include the Arts and Athletics Leadership Committee, 

Eagle Ambassadors, Discipline Committee, Honor Council, 

Prefects, Student Government Association (SGA), and 

Student Leadership Council (SLC). There is an application 

process for students who wish to become a part of one 

of the groups, though the entire group starts the year off 

together in a Leadership Retreat Weekend. 


“Every student who joins the HLI commits to becoming 

an effective leader,” said Mr. Weaver. “To be a part of HLI, 

students must participate in our Leadership Retreat; they 

have to register for a leadership or service opportunity 

of their choice to invest in themselves and they have to 

participate in our leadership class. This is before they even 

get to work as part of the group – prefect, SGA, Eagle 

Ambassador – whatever it may be, to ensure right from the 

start that a student understands there’s responsibility and 

commitment that comes with leadership.” 

The Leadership Retreat is a combination of leadership 

studies, service projects, teamwork, and of course, fun! 

They use the book, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective 

Teams,” by Jordan Rothstein and “The 7 Habits of Highly 

Effective Teens,” by Sean Covey as guides for learning and 

engagement. The group, led by Mr. Weaver and a team of 

faculty and staff, talk about different aspects of leadership 

and the dynamics of creating an effective, efficient team 

before they get to put those theories into action by helping 

others. This year, the community service has been mainly 

helping the MVA community, but in the past, service 

projects have touched our broader community. 

Building trust is also a part of the Leadership Retreat. “We 

want to have a supportive environment where students 

are comfortable taking a leadership role to gain that 

experience even if they haven’t served as a leader before,” 

said Mrs. Margaret Price, Assistant Dean of Students for 

Multiculturalism, Leadership, and Student Programs, who 

took the reins from Mr. Weaver when he became Dean. 

“We teach our students how to manage a group of their 

peers and build their network to help them achieve their 

goals. Our prefects, for example, are critical to a boarding 

student’s experience. Prefects model behavior that we 

want from our students, while also providing feedback from 

the student perspective that helps the administrative team 

make decisions. This year has been like no other, so having 

that direct line to how students are feeling about different 

aspects of school life is important.” 

The revamped HLI is focused on Upper School students, 

with Middle and Lower School opportunities developed 

in age-appropriate programs at their respective division. 

Middle School students have programs such as Builder’s 

Club, National Junior Honor Society, Student Government, 

the Leadership and Service Learning Class, and other 

opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. Lower 

School programs include K-Kids, Safety Patrol, and other 

after-school activities and clubs. 

HLI GROUPS 

Arts and Athletics Leadership Committee (AALC) – 

provides a unique perspective from students involved in 

MVA’s performance-based programs on different topics that 

affect the student body as a whole. 

Disciplinary Committee (DC) – works with administrators, 

teachers, and students to uphold the Academy's rules. 

The DC convenes as needed to hear facts of cases in 

which major rules have allegedly been violated and make 

recommendations to the Dean of Students. Students 

represent the diverse student population and are appointed 

by the Head of School. 

Eagle Ambassadors (EA) – assist with campus tours and 

admission tasks. Students must apply and are selected for 

their excellent communication and leadership skills, initiative 

and enthusiasm. Eagle Ambassadors must maintain Honor 

Roll and Excellent Citizenship status, and be involved in the 

MVA community. 

Honor Council (HC) – works with administrators, teachers 

and students to uphold the tenets of the Montverde 

Academy Honor Code, which aims to develop a 

determination to lead honorable lives in our students. The 

Council convenes as needed to hear the facts of cases that 

have potentially broken the Honor Code. 

Prefects – enhance the student experience through daily 

leadership and interactions. This student-led leadership 

group strengthens communication and interaction between 

students and administration to make the student experience 

the best possible. Prefects’ responsibilities influence and 

impact the entire student body. 

Student Government Association (SGA) – provides a 

forum for expression, an opportunity to create change and 

a network that supports student concern and the well-being 

of all domestic and international MVA students. Through 

student leadership, MVA's SGA aims to create a positive 

environment of encouragement, understanding and student 

scholarship. 

Student Leadership Council (SLC) – increases their 

understanding of the many aspects of leadership. This 

multi-year program provides educational and experiential 

opportunities for growth in leadership through project 

management tasks on campus. 

The groups work individually and together on different 

aspects of student life. The annual Blood Drives that are 

held on campus are organized, managed and executed 

by the SLC, with the most recent drive having 42 donors 

to impact 126 lives. The SGA works on student-oriented 

events such as Homecoming and Prom as well as other 

fun, memory-making events. Prefects select, organize 

and manage activities and events for boarding students 


to engage in on weekends. The HLI supports and works 

together, exercising the skills they have gained in their 

leadership studies. 

“I came here with one thing in mind, to play lacrosse, but 

MVA has provided me with so much more than I expected 

to gain,” said Bradley Peterson, a senior and prefect. “While 

I live in Eustis, being a prefect and living on campus makes 

the experience different. I wake up thinking about different 

events that my peers would enjoy and am able to have 

more balance between academics and athletics, which also 

gives me time for leadership.” 

assistance to effectively achieve their goals. “In order to be 

effective leaders, our students need to continue to grow 

in their understanding and dedication in how to serve their 

community, school, and others,” said Mr. David Bernatavitz, 

Dean of the Upper School. “The Head of School Leadership 

Institute prepares our student leaders for college and 

beyond by providing them opportunities to genuinely do for 

others with a servant’s heart.” 

Typically, applications for the HLI are made available in late 

March for the following school year. Students interested in 

learning more about HLI can contact Mrs. Price for details. 

The HLI plays an important role on campus, giving structure 

to the opportunities, guidance about leadership overall, and 

Making Diversity Matter 


One of the most notable, unique aspects of Montverde 

Academy is the diversity of our students. You can hear 

Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Senegalese, 

Spanish, and more spoken on campus among students. 

There have been more than 90 flags flying around the 

campus circles to represent all of the countries that 

our students represent. Alumni have shared that their 

college campuses are not as diverse as MVA is. 

So what do you do with that kind of diversity? MVA 

honors and celebrates the diversity in a variety of ways 

from hosting events and activities to raise awareness 

of our differences to enjoying food in the dining hall, 

saying the benediction at graduation in every language 

our students speak, and much more. We have woven 

diversity into the MVA culture in many ways, but we 

aspire to do more. 

Which led to working with the Peace and Justice 

Institute (PJI) at Valencia College that promotes peace 

and justice for all and whose mission is making a 

difference by intentionally engaging in practices and 

principles that explore, advocate, and honor the dignity 

of self, others, and the earth. The PJI has worked with 

many organizations. 

“It’s not about checking the box – oh yes, we’re diverse 

– and done, it’s about everyone at the party is invited 

to dance every dance,” said Mrs. Marcia Bernatavitz, 

Dean of Faculty/Director of Professional Development. 

“We have partnered with PJI to discover ways that 

we can further promote inclusion and equality – from 

our employees to our students and in our practices 

and curriculum, ensuring all voices are engaged and 

represented in a meaningful way.” 

The PJI gave a presentation to all faculty and staff 

before school began to raise awareness and start the 

discussion about the sensitive topic of race and bias. A 

task force has been created to draft a Diversity, Equity 

and Inclusion (DEI) statement, much like our Honor 

Code, for employees. From there, the PJI will also work 

with students in the HLI program to gather information 

and determine where our students are at by asking 

questions, recording opinions and sharing results. 

“We want to start from a safe place with students 

understanding that your truth is from where you sit, and 

through working with PJI, we will all grow from there,” 

said Mrs. Margaret Price, Assistant Dean of Students 

for Multiculturalism, Leadership, and Student Programs. 

“MVA is proud of how diverse our community is, and 

through engaging in open, honest conversations, we 

can become a flagship of inclusion with programs and 

curriculum where everyone is reading stories that they 

can see themselves in.” 

We’ll be sure to share our progress as MVA’s work with 

PJI continues. 


Student 

By Chadi Mayati, Head PrefectLife 

COVID-19 has been a challenge for everyone. Teachers have adapted and found new 

ways of teaching. Students have also adapted to online learning, hybrid classes and 

an overall different school experience. The social aspect for everyone has proven to 

be challenging. 

As the head prefect whose goal is to make the boarding 

experience good for students, I can share that the 

year has been difficult. The simple fact that all of our 

boarding students aren’t on campus yet leaves an empty 

space. Everyone has adapted to social distancing and 

other protocols, which has limited the socialization and 

community we have always had at MVA. A perfect example 

is in the dining hall where the plexiglass is a physical barrier 

to protect, but it makes it hard to communicate, and 

wearing masks has left many students feeling isolated and 

out of their comfort zone. 

Miami, California and even other continents. We are doing 

our best to stay positive, but as time goes on and the 

amount of adversity we face, it’s hard to be positive. We 

hope for the best possible outcome as we feel we have 

already lost so much during our senior year. 

I just want to say that as the COVID-19 situation continues, 

I encourage everyone to follow the guidelines to stay safe, 

such as washing your hands, wearing a mask and social 

distancing. Be safe and take care. Together, we are going to 

get through this challenging time! 

In light of the difficulties, there are a number of pros. 

Personally, I’ve learned many things such as the importance 

of socializing, being with my friends and meeting people. 

I’ve grown closer to my family, learned new things like 

cooking, began playing new instruments and doing things I 

haven’t done before, or wanted to do but didn’t have time 

for it. 

MVA’s school counselors are a good resource to help 

students who are struggling, and days like Wellness 

Wednesday have helped students to connect in 

fun activities. 

With the circumstances at hand, I feel as if I haven’t been 

able to live my senior year the way I imagined. I haven’t 

been able to live out some of the goals or dreams I had 

planned for senior year with my best friend in places like 


A New “Norm” for the Arts 

By Dean Bell, Director of Arts 

Ambria Benjamin and Joshua Brown in “Clybourne Park” 


Aiden Bjortvedt and Aidan Fracker in “Edges” 

CJ Rosado and Elianys Negron in “Smokey Joe's Cafe” 

It seems unlikely when Jason Robert Brown wrote his beautiful song cycle, “Songs 

for a New World,” celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this year, he ever imagined 

it could become the theme for so many artists around the world. And yet, discovering 

how to create and perform songs for this new world – as well as theatre, art, dance, 

etc. – has become the most intently discussed topic in the Arts, perhaps since the 

advent of electronic media. 

This is a story of “haves” and “have nots.” Not in the most 

common connotation of financial means, but rather in 

desire. In creating the “songs” (meaning all Art) for this new 

world, those with a passion, imagination and willingness 

to surmount obstacles are rising to the top. This year has 

been a year of change in the Arts, without question, and 

the responses to those changes have been as varied 

as responses to its cause. Many Arts organizations, 

unfortunately, have chosen to “wait it out” or simply have 

thrown their hands up and surrendered. Others have been 

stymied by a refusal to look beyond the traditional scope 

of what they want their seasons to be; they are the “have 

nots.” In contrast, those willing to redesign,and place 

the goal of producing Art as their foremost concern, are 

reimagining the face of what our professions will look like for 

the future. 

That is the preface of my story, as I tell you the Fine Arts 

department at Montverde Academy is one of the “haves,” 

and the beneficiaries are our students, community and 

supporters. Not adapting, not reimagining, and most of all, 

not having a season was never an acceptable option. The 

amazingly talented faculty in our department rose to that 

challenge and created a robust, flexible season, filled with 

“traditional” as well as new offerings designed for a fulfilling 

and exciting set of performances, designed to keep our 

performers and audience members safe. As we approach 

the halfway point in our season, we have done exactly that. 

Continuing on the success of our Spring “Festival of the 

Arts,” our first virtual performance via Montverde Academy 

Fine Arts social media sites (Facebook and Instagram), we 

began our season with a virtual concert highlighting the 

Conservatory scholarship winners. Receiving more than 

500 views, this concert again proved the broad reach social 

media has, and the positive impact such events have for 

expanding the reputation of our programs. Along with this 

virtual event, the Fall season included a virtual Halloween 

Recital by the music department, and a Winter Holiday 

Concert, featuring students from both Conservatories, 

which airs the week of Christmas. 


Cast of “Smokey Joe's Cafe” 

Our annual Lessons and Carols performance was 

reimagined, as hosting the normal audience of 3,000, nor 

the orchestra and mass choir at the Clermont Performing 

Arts Center, was not possible. We released a “Best of” 

Lessons and Carols virtually on December 5 that featured 

a look back at some of the favorite moments through the 

years, and included a special new arrangement. As the 

start of the holiday season, this release reached nearly one 

thousand people via our social media. 

To complete the first half of the season is a World 

Premiere of MVA’s commissioned play, “NOISE: A Teenage 

Panic Attack on National Themes.” The play, written 

by playwrights Ezra Brain and J. Andrew Norris, was 

commissioned in 2019 and received its first reading during 

our “Festival of the Arts” last Spring. The final product, 

which will compete for viewing at the State ITS Festival, is a 

recording of the staged show released in December. 

The season also incorporated “hybrid” events, where 

segments of the presentation were pre-recorded and 

produced, but presented to a live, socially-distanced 

audience to ensure the safety of performers and audience 

members. Our first foray into this design was a second 

installment of last year’s incredibly successful Salon 

Concert. The Salon Concert, “Lift Up Your Voice,” was 

viewed more than 1,500 times, which represents four 

“ 

Though this season has been filled with 

uncertainty and called for a great deal of flexibility, 

the MVA Fine Arts Department is proud to be a 

leader int he area of redesigning an Arts season, 

and one of the very first to safely offer live 

entrtainment to our audiences and supporters... 

With the amazing support of our administration, 

and our ever-growing Arts Alliance members, we 

are proud to say that MVA Arts is at the forefront of 

creating “Songs for the New World.” 

” 

Dean Bell, Director of Arts 

sold-out performances in the Sandra O. Stephens 

Auditorium – that’s almost 30 times the reach of last year’s 

concert. We hosted a viewing party in the auditorium for 

students, parents and Arts Alliance members which aired 

synchronously with the online release, to rave reviews. 

A second hybrid presentation was hosted in November 

for the ITS District Showcase, which features all of the 

submissions from the theatre department for competition. 

This performance will be pre-recorded, but presented with 

another viewing party in the auditorium. 


Anthony Morehead and Caiti Fallon in “Clybourne Park” 

Lastly, we examined the possibilities for live performance 

– not knowing at any moment if that would be possible 

or not. Having researched extensively, spoken to industry 

leaders and consulted with other Arts organizations, we 

believed we had the capacity to safely offer live theatre this 

Fall. With a primary obstacle being how to social distance 

with the number of performers in the cast, we decided to 

divide the actors up and produce three shows with smaller 

casts. To achieve this, we scheduled a play, “Clybourne 

Park,” a song cycle, “Edges,” and a dance feature, 

“Smokey Joe’s Café.” In so doing, each cast held smaller, 

simultaneous rehearsals spaced out across the Fine Arts 

complex to prepare for their productions. 

The result was a three-week “Fall Extravaganza” which 

presented three shows in three consecutive weekends in 

October, opened to live audiences with appropriate social 

distancing and safety protocols. Through this, we reduced 

the overall number of audience members seated. All three 

shows had an audience of over 200 people over the course 

of their run. In addition, our Arts Alliance members enjoyed 

three separately themed receptions hosted by Mary-Kay 

Rath, Executive Director of the Arts Alliance, on the Media 

Arts building patio. The resulting experience – albeit different 

in many ways – was wonderfully received, and performers 

and audiences alike were extremely happy to attend a live 

event. In a precedent-setting approach, our production of 

Behind the scenes of Vocal Salon 

“Clybourne Park,” which was filmed for adjudication for 

submission as a Mainstage presentation for the State ITS 

Festival, was filmed under quarantine conditions; wherein 

students were COVID-tested, sequestered and then filmed 

in a bubble to allow the production to be presented without 

masks and social distancing requirements. The resulting 

production highlighted the artistry as well as the innovative 

approach to fellow programs throughout the state. 

Though this season has been filled with uncertainty 

and called for a great deal of flexibility, the MVA Fine 

Arts Department is proud to be a leader in the area of 

redesigning an Arts season, and one of the very first 

to safely offer live entertainment to our audiences and 

supporters. While uncertainty remains as we enter the 

season’s second half, all of our plans have contingencies to 

continue offering high quality instruction and performances 

whatever conditions may warrant. As always, the 

beneficiaries are our students, each of whom continues to 

learn even more valuable skills as they take their Art to the 

next level. With the amazing support of our administration, 

and our ever-growing Arts Alliance members, we are proud 

to say that MVA Arts is at the forefront of creating “Songs 

for a New World.” 


1 

at Bella Collina 

FRIDAY 

OCT. 23, 2020 

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5 

8 

1. Taylor Yarkosky, Scott Phillips, Kalena Meyers, Anthony Sabatini, 

and Phil Stiles 

2. Kasey Kesselring, Tiffany, Teddy, Tyler and Ronda DeWitt, and 

Kalena Meyers 

3. Debi Provenzano, Theresa Barbey, Christine Tran, and Tina 

DeClercq 

4. April Sayer and Sam Geise 

5. Wendy Terry and Kalena Meyers 

6. Jennifer Belmore, Elske Palmer, Anna Bird, Courtney Riscica, 

Nancy Yecora, Kalena Meyers, Tom Weselis, Lenee Magnuson, 

and Andrea Colby 

7. Steel Worx Solutions 

8. Matt Wheatley, Joe Jamieson, Rusty Moore, and Brandon Smith 

9. FBC Roofing- Charlotte JeBailey and Marketa Kozisek 

9 


IN MEMORIAM 

Dr. Walter L. Stephens 

It is with deep sadness that Montverde 

Academy said goodbye to Dr. Walter L. 

Stephens, Trustee and former Chairman 

of the Board and President of the 

Academy. At the age of 85, Dr. Stephens 

passed away peacefully on October 20 

with his daughters, Renee Stephens 

Lundy and Lori Specht, by his side. 

Dr. Stephens had joined Montverde Academy in 1961 as 

a teacher, coach and dorm parent. He became Head of 

School and President in 1969, and retired in 1999. Distinctly 

committed to MVA, Dr. Stephens then became Chairman of 

the Board of Trustees, serving until 2017, when he passed 

the mantle to Renee Stephens Lundy, his daughter who was 

elected Chairwoman, and he continued serving as 

a Trustee. 

As Head of School, Dr. Stephens saw the school through 

an expansive campus master plan that included the 

construction of many buildings and additions, including our 

iconic Duncan Bell Tower. He restored financial stability and 

placed the Academy on a sound financial path. He served 

Montverde Academy for 61 years and established a legacy 

that will be forever etched into the MVA’s history. Hundreds 

of people around the world benefitted from his unwavering 

commitment to education, the students and families of 

Montverde Academy. 

“My dad had three passions in his life – his family, sports 

and Montverde Academy,” said Lori, his daughter. “He truly 

exemplified the Mark Twain quote ‘Find a job you enjoy 

doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.’ 

He thoroughly enjoyed helping young people become the 

best versions of themselves through their education and 

experiences at the Academy. Through his 60+ years of 

service to MVA, he touched so many lives and I am beyond 

proud of the legacy that he leaves.” 

"Our father supported my sister and me, as well as each 

and every Montverde Academy student in pursuing our 

dreams. He expected our best effort and encouraged 

through love and respect, leading by example. It was an 

honor to share our father with the students and families of 

MVA and the institution itself. He will forever be loved and 

missed," said Renee Stephens Lundy, his daughter. 

“Dr. Stephens was a mentor and father figure throughout my 

more than two decades of service at Montverde Academy; 

it was a blessing to have someone who truly understood 

the challenges of school leadership by my side in ways no 

one else could,” said Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, Montverde 

Academy Head of School. “His family, including his wife 

Sandra, committed their lives to Montverde Academy — 

living, working, raising a family and serving the students of 

MVA. He will be sorely missed. We wish his wife Sandra 

and his daughters Lori and Renee and their families peace 

during this time of grief.” 

Dr. Stephens is survived by his wife Sandra O. Stephens, his 

daughter Renee Stephens Lundy, son-in-law Rodney Lundy, 

grandchildren Bella and Max Lundy, and daughter Lori 

Stephens Specht, son-in-law Carl Specht and grandchildren 

Madison and Jake Specht. 

His life was celebrated at a memorial service on campus 

on Tuesday, October 27 that was attended by his family, 

faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The family established 

the Dr. Walter L. Stephens, Jr. Memorial Fund at Montverde 

Academy to provide support for student leadership 

initiatives through the HLI program at MVA. Donations of 

support may be made online at Montverde.org 


RELATIONS 

By Mark Wright-Ahern, Alumni Relations Coordinator 

The Montverde Academy Alumni Association is a vital part of our continued growth 

and plays an important role in maintaining and creating life-long relationships with 

graduates. We are happy to present our 2020-21 Alumni Association Board of 

Directors; whose members represent many decades. Their first event as Board 

members was an Alumni Open House, during which they gave tours and distributed 

yearbooks to alumni. There are more events planned this school year. We hope to see 

you at an event soon! 

Thank you to all of the alumni who united to support 

MVA’s Day of Giving. What you give has a direct impact 

on the lives of MVA students, and helps fund critical 

projects and initiatives such as Protect MVA, Time to 

Lead for the new Middle School, the Athletic Booster 

Club, and Arts Alliance. The Academy is a 501(C)(3), so 

gifts are tax deductible – please consider making a gift. 

As the saying goes, “time flies!” We want to celebrate 

and share our alumni’s milestones. While we may not 

catch all the news, we can do better with your help. If 

you are getting married, starting a new job, launching a 

company, purchasing a new home, welcoming a child, 

or receiving an award, WE WANT TO KNOW! Connect 

with us by email or social media to let us celebrate and 

share your news! 

makes our graduates stand out. It’s the hearts and lives 

we touch every day that counts. This year has been very 

challenging for everyone, but the love from our MVA 

community continues to give help to many of 

our families. 

During these holidays let us remember each other 

by celebrating the love and joy we receive each day 

from family and friends. Remember to stay connected 

– please join the alumni Facebook, Instagram and 

LinkedIn social media pages. 

Go Eagles! 

As Alumni Relations Coordinator, I’m honored to work 

with such a prestigious group. The life-changing things 

that MVA alumni are doing all over the world is what 


2020-21 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 

BOARD MEMBERS 

PRESIDENT - BRYCE DAVIS 

Bryce James Davis (’04) attended all four years 

of high school at MVA. He earned his B.A. from 

the University of Central Florida and his J.D. 

from Ave Maria School of Law. A member of 

the Florida Bar and a practicing attorney since 

2014, he currently runs his law practice, which 

specializes in estate planning and probate, contract litigation 

and appeals, in Clermont, Florida. He became involved with 

the alumni board upon returning to Central Florida in 2014, and 

is excited to be a part of the incredible growth and future of 

Montverde Academy. 

VICE PRESIDENT - SHERI KING 

Sheri King (’87) is happily married to Kevin, her 

husband of 25 years with three amazing kids, 

Mackenzie, Carson and Weston. She grew up 

overseas in Peru, Colombia and Indonesia. 

At the time her family was in Colombia, she 

attended MVA for her junior and senior years 

to graduate in 1987 and attend Florida Southern College, 

graduating in 1991. 

After spending 18 years in Colorado, they returned to Florida. 

“While I miss the mountains and outdoor life Colorado offers, 

my husband and I love spending time at the beach,” said Sheri. 

“We have always been an active family and love watching and 

playing soccer, golf, softball, tennis and volleyball! Spending 

time with family however is my favorite place to be! I love that I 

get to share MVA as an alum with my sister, Kristi (’89), and my 

son Weston (’19).” 

SECRETARY - TYLER DAVIS 

Tyler Davis (’04) attended the second Judicial 

Council president for two years, varsity 

baseball captain, four-year letterman in golf, 

Scholar Athlete of the Year in 11th grade, 

and received the H.P. Carpenter Award. 

Upon graduating, he attended Florida 

Southern University and the University of South Florida to 

earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Sciences with 

concentrations in political science and environmental science. 

He served for more than ten years as an outdoors guide on 

the Hillsborough River and as a park ranger in Hillsborough 

County. He joined the MVA staff as the associate director of 

development for alumni relations in 2015, and is currently the 

institutional advancement data specialist at the Academy. 

BOARD MEMBER - LUIS M. 

BUSTAMANTE 

Luis Bustamante (’79), earned a bachelor’s 

degree in air commerce, and a master’s degree 

in business psychology. He has enjoyed a long 

career in aviation and is currently director of LB 

Aviation, a professional pilot, and former owner 

of a Venezuelan airline. 

Luis and his wife, Rosalinda Fonseca (’80), have been married 

for 40 years, live in Plantation, Florida, and have three children. 

His family is extremely important to him, especially his daughter 

with Down Syndrome, which inspired him to establish the 

Funies Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides 

children with special needs access to therapeutic horse riding. 

The foundation is a proud supporter of the Special Olympics 

Equestrian program. 

BOARD MEMBER - DAVID CRUZ 

David Cruz (’10), attended Embry Riddle 

Aeronautical University to pursue a career 

in aviation. Upon graduating, he gained 

experience working at several airlines which 

helped him land his dream job as a pilot for 

American Airlines. “Outside of flying, you 

can catch me with my loved ones exploring new hiking trails, 

mountain biking, and paddle boarding. I am and always will be 

proud to be an Eagle,” said David. 

BOARD MEMBER - JOE KATUKA 

Joseph Katuka (’07) first came to Montverde 

Academy in 2006 as a player from Nigeria 

where he attended the Basketball Without 

Borders Africa camp in South Africa as the top 

three players from Nigeria in 2004. He was a 

key part of MVA’s 30-0 team in 2005-07, and 

was recognized in Nike and the NBA’s Top 100 players in 2006. 

He went on to play Division I basketball for George Washington 

University in Washington, D.C., and started all four years 

earning the accolades of Senior Captain 2007-11, 2010-11 

Most Improved Player and 2010 Defensive Player of the Year. In 

2011, Joe played on the international stage as a key member 

of the U18 Nigerian National Basketball Team in the 2007 

Junior World Cup which was hosted in Serbia. He joined the 

MVA team as a basketball coach in 2013. 

BOARD MEMBER - KONNOR 

KESSELRING 

Konnor Kesselring (’16) is a recent graduate of 

the University of Florida with a degree in sport 

management. He accepted a position at MVA 

as the assistant to the director and technical 

director of the Soccer Institute at Montverde 

Academy (SIMA). And yes, he is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Kasey 

and Maureen Kesselring, and brother to Kailin Kesselring (’13). 


BOARD MEMBER - RENATA MARTINS 

Renata Martins (’16), a native of Brazil, arrived 

on the MVA campus and volleyball courts 

in her junior year. Her parents didn’t attend 

college, so she focused on making the best 

out of the opportunities that came her way. 

She recently earned a Bachelor’s Degree in 

Global Business and Marketing from the University of South 

Florida and accepted a full-time offer from Cintas Corporation 

as a catalog sales representative. 

Renata is passionate about education and has shared her 

story with 400+ Brazilian children and teenagers to encourage 

and inspire others. Her goal is to help make our world better 

through education and mentorship because she believes in a 

generation that appreciates the opportunity 

to study. 

BOARD MEMBER - JESSE MEADOW 

Jesse Meadow (’04) started at Montverde 

Academy as a Middle School student and 

continued through graduation in 2004. He 

earned an associate degree from Lake- 

Sumter Community College and graduated 

from the University of Central Florida with his 

bachelor’s degree in political science. He returned to MVA and 

spent seven and a half years, starting as an Assistant Dean of 

Admission, before becoming Assistant Dean of Students for 

Residential Life. 

While at MVA as a staff member, Jesse remained active 

as an alumnus and also served on the MVA Alumni 

Association’s Board of Directors. He left MVA in 2019, joining 

Schoolcraft Digital as Managing Director, a digital marketing 

communications agency co-founded with Chris Mitchell, also 

an MVA alumnus. 

Jesse and Jackie, his wife, currently reside in Orlando and are 

focused on raising their two daughters, Sofia and Emelia. 

BOARD MEMBER - CHRIS MITCHELL 

Christopher Mitchell (’02) spent four years as 

a boarding student at Montverde Academy. 

Upon graduating, he attended the University 

of Tampa and earned a bachelor’s degree in 

Business Management. He stayed active with 

Montverde Academy as a member of the MVA 

Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, and also served two 

years as the association president. In 2015, he returned to the 

Academy full-time to spend as MVA’s Director of Development 

and the Montverde Fund. 

He left MVA in 2018, becoming an entrepreneur with the launch 

of Statecraft Digital, a holistic digital communications agency 

and strategic partner for political candidates and organizations, 

non-profits, and movements. He launched a second business, 

Schoolcraft Digital, a digital marketing communications agency 

focused on helping private schools broaden their audience 

reach and increase enrollment, which was co-founded with 

Jesse Meadow, also an MVA alumnus. 

Chris currently resides in Orlando where he is a dedicated 

father to his son, Noah. 

BOARD MEMBER - REXY ROLLE 

Rexy Rolle (’06) earned her bachelor’s degree 

at the University of Ottawa in political science 

and communications, and her master’s 

degree at Lynn University in mass media 

and communications, summa cum laude. 

She pursued her Juris Doctorate at Thomas 

Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California. Upon 

graduating, she harnessed her aviation and business expertise 

by working at one of the largest business firms in southern 

California, though she credits her parents’ teachings and 

early airline experience as the best preparation for her current 

position. 

Rexy is Vice President of Operations and General Counsel at 

Western Air, the largest privately-owned airline in the Bahamas, 

overseeing the day-to-day operations and all legal affairs. She 

spearheaded the company’s expansion, orchestrating the 

acquisition of Saab 340A aircraft and four Embraer 145LR jets, 

and has reinvigorated Western Air’s performance, resulting 

in significant growth. She has been featured on BET News, 

Conde Nast Traveler, Essence, Miami Times, Travel Noire, TV 

One, Brand Eins, and other popular media outlets. 

Rexy recognizes God as the foundation of her success. 

Outside of work, she can be found recording and releasing 

music, dancing and continuing her philanthropic efforts. 

BOARD MEMBER - VICTORIA TORRES 

Victoria Torres (’13) earned a Bachelor’s 

Degree in Communication Sciences and 

Disorders from the University of Central 

Florida and is currently pursuing her Doctor of 

Audiology at the University of Florida. “Having 

been a student at MVA throughout Lower, 

Middle and Upper School, I am excited to return to my roots by 

serving on the Alumni Association Board,” said Victoria. 

MONTVERDE 

ACADEMY 

KNOWLEDGE • CHARACTER • COMMUNITY 


The friendships I made here (MVA) continue 

to benefit me, professionally and personally 

to this very day. I can safely say my entire 

life would be very different had I attended 

high school anywhere else. 

Bryce Davis ’04 

Bryce and his daughter Emily 


ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 

Bryce Davis ’04 


For the past few years, Bryce Davis (’04) has served on 

MVA’s Alumni Association board and is now taking the reins 

as President of the association. Bryce attended all four 

years of high school at MVA. He earned his B.A. from the 

University of Central Florida and his J.D. from Ave Maria 

School of Law to become a member of the Florida Bar 

and a practicing attorney since 2014. He currently runs 

a practice specializing in estate planning and probate, 

contract litigation and appeals in Clermont, Florida. 

“Montverde Academy played an enormous role in my 

development, providing an extremely strong academic 

foundation, and the unique experience of being exposed 

to many different people and cultures from all around the 

world,” said Bryce. “This sort of opportunity was truly oneof-a-kind 

in Lake County, at the time. The friendships I made 

here continue to benefit me, professionally and personally 

to this very day. I can safely say my entire life would be very 

different had I attended high school anywhere else.” 

Bryce became an attorney for somewhat unconventional 

reasons. The ancient Greeks said "know thyself,” which 

he took to heart. “I think people can inflict unnecessary 

strife and suffering on themselves because they don't 

consider this maxim. By understanding who you are, you 

can make career decisions that fit. I’ve always valued my 

independence and autonomy, and knew I didn’t want 

to climb a corporate ladder or play at office politics. I 

capitalized on my natural abilities and chose the path of 

law as a solo practitioner – which provides opportunities to 

contribute to my community and help people in need.” 

His primary aspiration is to be a good provider and role 

model for Emily, his two-year-old daughter, and is enjoying 

a balance of career and family. He finds solace in the 

incremental steps of life; going to work, providing for family, 

and having a positive attitude about life does an enormous 

amount of good for the world. It is amazing how very little 

real, authentic encouragement people need and amazing 

how often they don't get it. 

demonstrated that you can be a high-achieving individual 

without becoming completely humorless and dehumanized. 

It seems kind of silly to lay it out now, but at the time Bryce 

thought being successful and being happy was a binary 

choice. 

Two particularly memorable moments for Bryce were when 

the Academic Team competed for the state championship 

for nearly an entire week at Disney. He was part of a great 

crew, and it was this surreal, dream-like combination of 

goofing off at the parks followed by serious crunch time 

during tournament rounds. “We had this ‘freedom increases 

as responsibility increases’ see-saw effect going on, and 

that was the first introduction to a little more freedom, 

balanced with doing what needed to be done successfully,” 

he said. 

He also vividly remembers graduating. “It was an absolutely 

idyllic Florida spring day, and I can still remember watching 

the clouds slowly roll past the tower as everyone slowly said 

their goodbyes and headed off. For a bittersweet mixture 

of nostalgia and the feeling of unlimited possibilities ahead, 

that one is hard to beat. 

Bryce’s advice to current students would be to know 

yourselves. “You've still got time to figure this out, whether 

you're going to college or another pursuit. Do something 

that interests you. Find a productive pursuit, identify your 

skills and abilities and refine them through education and 

training, and put it to work for you. I would also advise you 

to not be cynical. It's easy to become disillusioned with the 

world, people and places you are involved with day in and 

out, as small annoyances and flaws compound over time. 

Don't allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good. I 

also encourage graduates to make a pilgrimage back here – 

stroll around campus, and reflect upon the impact this place 

has had on your life. You'll likely find that as the years go by, 

you had no idea how important it was to you all along.” 

Bryce would say that Mr. Scott, his history teacher at MVA, 

was a great mentor who was affable and approachable who 



R.J. Rodgers ’17 


R.J. Rogers (’17) attended Montverde Academy from 

grade 7-12 and is making a name for himself as someone 

who gets things done in the South Lake community. When 

people were compelled to exercise their First Amendment 

Rights of Free Speech, R.J. was at the forefront, organizing 

and leading a peaceful protest march from the waterfront of 

Lake Minneola to speeches on the steps of City Hall. 

“I wanted to show our community that we can protest and 

enact change without violence – which we did with more 

than 500 people coming together peacefully,” said R.J. “It 

was through an MVA connection that I was approached to 

plan this protest, so I’m grateful to have had the opportunity 

to bring attention to important issues that our community 

and our nation are facing. I’m thrilled with how the event 

went because I believe that we Americans, are so much 

better than we’re being portrayed in the media.” 

Currently, R.J. is studying at Lake Sumter State College 

following two years at Stetson University, and plans to enter 

University of Central Florida next semester to complete his 

bachelor’s degree in political science. He ultimately plans to 

pursue a law degree to affect a change in the political climate 

– maybe as a lobbyist. 

With a keen interest in the news and political philosophy, he’s 

also forming a non-profit, grass-roots organization called 

Respire. He is creating the organization to further his passion 

for inspiring positive and collective change with a focus 

on educating younger people about the importance of the 

democratic process and how they can be a part of creating 

change. 

“I am grateful for Montverde Academy because of their 

commitment to instilling structure and organization in 

students,” said R.J. “Even though they were not my greatest 

skills, being a part of the MVA student body allowed me 

to see the correlation between being organized and being 

successful, and that is a lesson I think of often every day. 

The pillars of knowledge, character and community are 

paramount, and I believe I have benefitted greatly due to 

the Academy’s commitment to strong academics and 

extracurriculars. My time at MVA helped me become a 

well-rounded individual in college, ready to handle difficult 

situations” 

A memorable moment at MVA was the Senior Retreat ’17. 

“The memory sticks out the most to me because it was 

one of the only times other than senior week that the Class 

of 2017 was all together. The team building exercises were 

funny and we all had a good time. Senior year went by really 

fast, but Senior Retreat, all of the people and my friends that 

were there is a memory I will never forget.” 

“ 

The pillars of knowledge, character and 

community are paramount, and I believe I 

have benefitted greatly due to the Academy's 

commitment to strong academics and 

extracurriculars. My time at MVA helped me 

become a well-rounded individual, ready to handle 

difficult situations. 

” 

R.J. Rodgers’17 

He shares wise advice of “Don’t focus too hard on the future, 

and don’t live too long in the past. After high school, time 

begins to go by very fast and you need to manage your time 

differently. Being present, focusing on the moment and doing 

your best to make moments is what counts. MVA rules may 

seem a little strict at times, but the Administration and faculty 

have your best interests at heart and are doing their best to 

position you to succeed. Stick with your routines, work for 

the best grades and go to the college/university that best fits 

you academically, financially and emotionally. There is a lot 

more to life after high school, so don’t get too caught up in 

small problems of everyday life.” 

We congratulate R.J. on his success so far and wish him 

continued success in his pursuits. 


I wanted to show our community that we can protest 

and enact change without violence...I'm grateful 

to have had the opportunity to bring attention to 

important issues that our community and our nation 

are facing. I'm thrilled with how the event went 

because I believe that we Americans, are so much 

better than we're being portrayed in the media. 

R.J. Rodgers ’17 


At Montverde Academy, I was exposed to 

different things in education and culture, 

which helped me becoe more openminded. 

I learned discipline and structure, 

which really helped me as a trainee in the 

Air Force. 

Mario Mendez ’14 



Mario Mendez ’14 


Throughout the years, there are students who make 

such an impact on those around them because of the life 

they live. Mario Mendez (’14), U.S. Air Force Officer, is an 

alumnus who brightens a room and leads by example. 

After graduating from MVA, Mario attended the University of 

South Florida to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminology 

with a minor in psychology and aerospace studies. His 

parents, both military veterans, persuaded him to join 

Reserve Officers Training Corp. (ROTC) his freshman year. 

Though he considered becoming an Air Force pilot, Mario 

felt the path would be challenging and not a fit for his skill 

set, but being a distinguished graduate ROTC (#1 in his 

class) opened doors. He became an officer in the Air Force 

and earned a full scholarship. Mario graduated from USF in 

2018 to became a commissioned officer and started active 

duty. In September 2020, he became a U.S. Air Force Pilot, 

earning his FAA commercial pilot certification. 

He became an Air Force recruiter and started his first 

mission as a pilot recruit. Pilot training was in three steps: 

Phase One - Initial Flight Training in Colorado on the 

Diamond DA-20; Phase Two - Academics and flying the 

T-6 Texan ii in Columbus, Miss., to gain 80 flight hours, and 

Phase Three - accumulating 80 hours in the T-1 Jayhawk 

(a multi engine jet aircraft which is similar to a private 

business jet). As an Air Force pilot trainee, training included 

academics, flight simulator training and written tests. Upon 

completing training, he felt lucky to be assigned to his 

first choice of aircraft, the C130J Super Hercules. What 

made it even more special is that Sandy, his wife, is the 

Maintenance Officer on the C130J Super Hercules. 

“At Montverde Academy, I was exposed to different 

things in education and culture, which helped me become 

more open-minded,” said Mario. “I learned discipline and 

structure, which really helped me as a trainee in the Air 

Force. Pilot training is the toughest thing I’ve ever done, 

not everyone completes it, so I felt prepared to take on a 

career that would challenge me. The classes and teachers 

are some of the best in the world at MVA. Teachers like 

Mr. Adrian Wright-Ahern and Mr. Phil Prescott are highly 

qualified and invest time to help their students through 

mentoring. I’ve continued to connect with my former 

teachers and even invited Mr. Wright-Ahern to 

our wedding.” 

Mario would tell his younger self and MVA students to 

not to doubt yourself and your abilities. “Never think that 

something is too hard or challenging and don’t be afraid 

to fail. You learn to get back up, shake off the mistake and 

fight for what you want. While playing sports and going 

to school I didn’t believe I could accomplish everything I 

have. Without mentors and a strong family support system, 

I wouldn’t have achieved it all. While you are in an airplane 

flying you cannot doubt yourself because it’s your skills and 

knowledge that will keep you and your passengers safe. 

The split-second decisions you make affects others, and 

you must believe that you can accomplish them to be safe – 

MVA helped me be successful.” 

In the future, Mario aspires to be a humanitarian, medevac 

and search and rescue pilot. This past August, he was 

assigned a dream post of Little Rock Air Force Base, flying 

the Lockheed C-130J Hercules, a four-engine turboprop 

military transport aircraft that can takeoff and land on 

unprepared runways – so he looks to incorporate adventure 

into everything he does, while of course, helping others. 

Congratulations to Mario on his achievements. We look 

forward to hearing about the many great adventures 

that he will have as he’s positively prepared to achieve 

further success. 

Mario and his wife Sandy 


1 2 

3 

4 5 

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 

1979 

Happy 40th Wedding 

Anniversary to LUIS 

M. BUSTAMANTE 

and ROSALINDA 

FONSECA DE 

BUSTAMANTE (’80). 

1986 

(1) JAMES R. BEGLEY 

recently visited campus and 

enjoyed seeing how much 

the campus has grown. 

1987 

SHERI KING returned to 

campus as the interim Vice 

President for the Alumni 

Association to film our new 

alumni video. Thank you 

Sheri for participating. 

2010 

(2) Congrats to YI DONG 

CHEN on his recent 

marriage! 

LEANNE REMPEL 

is pursuing her PhD 

specializing in Language 

Acquisition at Ontario 

Institute for Studies in 

Education of the University 

of Toronto. 

2011 

We would like to recognize 

NGAN NGUYEN who 

is a program manager 

for Harvard University 

Graduate School of Design. 

Congratulations! 

2012 

CLAIRE XIONG 

graduated from UC Berkeley 

with a bachelor's degree in 

Economics & Media Studies 

and went on to become a 

global offices and strategic 

planner for a company in 

China. She recently married 

and is moving to the UK to 

start her MBA at Oxford. 

Congratualtions! 

Congratualtions to 

JESSEL MOHAMMED 

on his recent engagement. 

Congratulations to 

LAUREN ROBERTSON 

for passing the bar exam. 

2013 

MYRON FLEMING 

visited campus while home 

from the U.S. Army. He will 

complete his degree from 

the University of Maryland in 

Spring 2021. 

(3) Congratulations to 

ELIZABETH CRAMER 

BREHOB on her recent 

marriage! 


LIEN THI HOA VU on 

her recent engagement. 

2014 

SHELBY TEETER 

stopped by campus to see 

teachers and visit the Alumni 

Office. She will graduate in 

the spring from Yale Law 

School with an internship in 

Washington DC planned for 

summer. 

2015 

(5) SARAH GHIVIZZANI 

was accepted to 

Harvard Law School. 


Congrats to DEONDRE 

EASON and Savannah, his 

wife.They are expecting a 

baby girl in February 2021. 

2016 

(6) GILLES PARKS 

PIERCE gave birth 

to Aliyah Erin Pierce on 

November 17. She joins two 

big sisters. Congratulations! 

Congratulations to 

ISABELLA OJEDA 

on her new position as 

Social Engagement Intern 

at Culture Accelerators (a 


6 7 8 

9 10 11 

division of Perfect Solutions 

Consulting Group). 

RYAN MOORE started 

a new position at David W. 

Jordan, Lake County Tax 

Collector. 

BRUNO LAPA, SIMA 

alumnus, has been named 

the Birmingham Legion FC 

Fan’s Choice award winner 

and the team MVP for the 

2020 USL Championship 

season. Lapa started all 17 

matches for Birmingham 

in his rookie season. He 

went on to lead the team in 

chances created (35) and 

in shots (26), tied for the 

team lead in assists (5), and 

finished second in goals (8). 

BENJI MICHEL, SIMA 

alumnus, scored the goal 

that gave Orlando City 

Soccer Club its first Major 

League Soccer (MLS) 

playoff win! 

2018 

DURSTON GAGLIANO 

graduated early from Rollins 

College with a degree in 

economics and has been 

accepted into the highly 

rated MBA program at 

Crummer Graduate School 

of Business at Rollins 

College. Congratulatiosn! 


FARIS MOUMBAGNA, 

SIMA Gold alumnus, who 

scored his first professional 

goal in Europe with 

Bethlehem Steel United 

Soccer League! 

(8) Congratulations 

to WARIBOKO 

SEMENITARI who wrote 

and directed a virtual play 

giving voices to victims of 

police brutality in Nigeria 

titled “Naija is Alive.” 

Congrats to BRUNO 

PESSOA for finishing the 

fall season nationally ranked 

No. 6 in the Oracle/ITA NAIA 

singles rankings (tennis). 

Bruno, a junior at Warner 

University, has constantly 

been ranked among the 

top 10 best players in the 

country in the NAIA, and 

placed sixth after a strong 

regional and national 

individual campaign. 

(9) JACKSON WALTI, 

SIMA alumnus and Pitt 

Men's Soccer player, has 

been the captain for the D1 

program for two years. He 

scored a goal in the ACC 

Championship game vs. 

Duke! 

2019 


PRECIOUS ACHIUWA, 

varsity basketball alumus, 

on being the 20th NBA draft 

pick in the first round to the 

Miami Heat! Precious played 

collegiately at the University 

of Memphis where he had 

an all-star season. 

(11) Congrats to LUIZA 

FULLANA for reaching 

the doubles finals of the 

Professional National Circuit 

in Brazil. 

JUSTIN MALOU and 

PHILLIP MAYAKA, 

SIMA Alumni, helped 

Clemson win the 2020 ACC 

Championship beating Pitt 

2-1! Both made the ACC 

All-Tournament Team. 


12 13 14 

15 16 

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 

2020 

(12) ASHLEY GRAY 

was featured in Lake & 

Sumter Style Magazine as 

an Outstanding Student. 

She talked about her 

horsemanship and World 

Championship wins. 


Congrats to MOHAMED 

TRAORE, SIMA alumus, 

on signing a professional 

contract with the Los 

Angeles Football Club! 

(13) JODY BROWN 

won the ACC Soccer 

Championship with FSU! 

She was also named to the 

ACC All-Freshman team 

for her outstanding work 

throughout the season! 


RYAN GRANT, a finance 

major at University of Miami, 

on receiving the Atlantic 

Undergraduate Scholarship 

for Butterfield Employees’ 

Children. Butterfield selects 

its scholars from among 

hundreds of deserving 

applicants, using criteria 

including academic 

achievement, financial 

need, character, leadership 

qualities, civic attainment 

and involvement, and 

achievements in noncurricular 

activities including 

the arts and sports. 

(15) WELNILTON DA 

SILVA JR. shows off 

his skills at Virginia Tech. 

Welnilton believes that 

"persistence is the key to 

success." 

(16) ATES DIOUF 

and OMAR CISS, 

SIMA alumni, both play 

professional soccer with the 

USL Championship Team 

Austin Bold. 

Montverde 

Academy is 

saddened by 

the passing 

of ALEXIS 

RIVERA (’12). 

During his time 

at MVA, he was 

a great athlete 

with our baseball 

program. Drafted 

by the Kansas City 

Royals in the 10th 

round of the 2012 MLB amateur draft, he went on 

to play for the Burlington Bees. Montverde Academy 

administration, staff, students, and alumni association 

share our condolences to his family and friends. 

If you have news to submit for Class 

Notes, email alumni@montverde.org. 


REVIEWS ARE IN! 

5 STARS FOR THE ARTS ALLIANCE 

Don't miss our planned 

Spring performances: 

Spring String Concert 

“Macbeth” 

“Something Rotten” 

Choral Cabaret 

“Standing ovation for MVA Arts Alliance!” 

– Nick Bottom 

“Let’s get the party started!” 

– Ruby Sheridan 

“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 

Support the Arts, join the Arts Alliance or make 

a donation TODAY! 

montverde.org/artsalliance 

For more information, contact 

Mary-Kay Rath at mary-kay.rath@montverde.org 


Montverde Academy 

17235 Seventh Street 

Montverde, Florida 34756 

PROTECT 

Protect Myself. Protect Others. 

Protect our MVA Community. 

WE ARE MVA STRONG!

Tower Winter 2020-21

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