The Tower Summer 2023

FEATURE ARTICLES 

Class of 2023 pg. 6 

Night for the Cure pg. 34 

Fine Arts Behind the Scenes pg. 46 

SUMMER 2023

HEAD OF SCHOOL 

Mr. Jon Hopman 

2023-24 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Mr. Tim J. Bach 

Mr. Sean Parks 

Mr. Jon Frere 

Mr. T. Scott Ohmstede 

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

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

Dr. Sydney McPhee Dr. Walter L. Stephens, 

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

STAFF 

Mrs. Clara Winborn 

Mrs. Ginny Holm 

Mrs. Nichole Smith 

Mrs. Kimberly Braden 

Creative Director 

Creative Editor 

Editor 

Photographer 

Contributors include faculty, staff, students, and 

parents of Montverde Academy. 

ADDRESS CHANGES AND 

CORRESPONDENCE 

Montverde Academy 

The Tower Magazine 

17235 Seventh Street 

Montverde, FL 34756 

PRINTER 

Cromer International Press 

Above: Seniors display their college acceptances on Senior Jeans Day! 

On the cover: Class of 2023 

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. 

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2 THE TOWER | SUMMER 2023

SUMMER 2023 | VOLUME 7, ISSUE 2 

IN THIS ISSUE 

6 

Class of 2023 

34 

46 

Night for the Cure 

Fine Arts Behind the Scenes 

CONTENTS 

Message from the Head of School..................................... 4 

College Acceptances.......................................................... 8 

Class of 2023 Valedictorian.............................................. 10 

Class of 2023 Salutatorian............................................... 12 

Top of the Class 2023....................................................... 14 

Student Spotlights............................................................ 16 

Parents' Perspective......................................................... 18 

Employee Spotlight.......................................................... 20 

Lower School Computer Coding and Robotics................ 22 

Lower School Teacher of the Year.................................... 25 

Kindergarten Graduation.................................................. 26 

Middle School Science..................................................... 28 

Middle School Teacher of the Year................................... 30 

Upper School Teacher of the Year.................................... 31 

Biomedical STEM SAC.................................................... 32 

Night for the Cure............................................................. 34 

Winter/Spring Sports Wrap-Up......................................... 36 

College Signing Day......................................................... 40 

Girls Basketball Wins GEICO Nationals........................... 43 

Fine Arts Behind the Scenes............................................ 46 

Middle School Theatre...................................................... 50 

Alumni Relations.............................................................. 52 

Notable Alumni................................................................. 54 

Class Notes...................................................................... 56 

THE TOWER | SUMMER 2023 3

Message from the 

Head of School 

By Mr. Jon Hopman, Head of School 

As we conclude the 2022-23 school year, it is only 

appropriate to express my gratitude and appreciation 

for the amazing team of faculty, staff, and administration 

who give selflessly to our school community. A school like 

Montverde Academy is incredibly dynamic and requires 

24-7 attention to support our students and their families. 

Thank you for a job well done! 

The closing weeks of the school year can be a contrast 

of both stress and celebration. Inevitably, it seems as 

though everyone is thrust into a mad dash of preparing 

for finals; AP exams; end-of-season playoff games; 

theatre productions; music concerts; awards ceremonies 

for the arts, athletics, and academics; team parties; 

senior showcases; field trips; and of course, our Senior 

Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies. It is an 

amazing time, and I hope our students and families can 

reflect on the past ten months and appreciate the growth 

that has taken place. I also wish a special blessing upon 

our graduates as they celebrate the culmination of their 

academic experience thus far. 

I am often asked, “What is next?” In the simplest form, 

we operate in cycles. We began planning for the 2023-24 

school year months ago. The daily operational aspects of 

a day and boarding school require significant planning as 

we prepare for the new year. Our team has a very small 

window to coordinate multiple calendars, create class 

schedules, order new curriculum and supplies, install new 

technology, hire new staff, complete annual maintenance 

for our 130-acre campus, enroll new students, take time 

for professional development, and somewhere along the 

way, try to enjoy some personal time to rest. 

our strong academic foundation. As always, we continue 

looking for ways to improve our campus to benefit our 

students. We are in the final stages of completing our 

Innovation Center, and we are very excited about having 

that amazing resource available for our students next 

school year. Other projects on the horizon include a 

renovation of the Roberts Gym so that it can be dedicated 

to better serve the Lower School. The preliminary plans 

include additional classroom space, a dedicated dining 

and multipurpose room, new bleachers, office space, 

and a learning support classroom. In conjunction with 

the Roberts Gym project, we intend to move forward 

with plans for the new Legacy Athletic Training Center to 

facilitate more indoor athletic training space. Carpenter 

Hall will get some love with a few updates to benefit our 

boarding students. For grades 6-12, we will offer a dining 

hall similar to what you might find in college, with 

grab-and-go options available to students. Further 

down the road, we are looking at ways to expand the 

Sandra O. Stephens Auditorium to include a larger lobby 

or reception area. 

Since I first arrived at Montverde Academy in 2001, the 

growth and development of our school is nothing short of 

spectacular. There is a great deal to be proud of and even 

more to get excited about as we look to the future! 

Thank you for your support and for being part of the 

Montverde Academy community. 

“What is next?” can also apply to a more strategic plan 

for Montverde Academy. First and foremost, we are a 

college preparatory school and will continue building upon 


Since I first arrived at 

Montverde Academy in 2001, 

the growth and development 

of our school has been nothing 

short of spectacular. There is a 

great deal to be proud of and 

even more to get excited about 

as we look to the future! 

Mr. Jon Hopman, Head of School 


218 39 

GRADUATES 

SENIORS 

GRADUATED CUM LAUDE 

240 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 

graduates were accepted to 240 colleges 

and universities 

10,608 hours 

of community service 

completed by the senior class 


3.7 

AVERAGE AP 

EXAM SCORE 

17+ MILLION 

graduates were offered more than 17 million 

dollars in collegiate scholarships 

1+ MILLION 

IN ATHLETIC 

SCHOLARSHIPS 

40 

COUNTRIES 

The Class of 2023 had 

40 countries represented 

THE TOWER | SUMMER 2023 7 


Our 218 graduates were accepted into top-ranked colleges and universities 

and amassed over 17 million in academic scholarships. Below is the 

complete list of acceptances for the class of 2023. 

American University 

Amherst College 

Arcadia University 

Arizona State University (Main Campus) 

Auburn University 

Barry University 

Barton College 

Baylor University 

Bellarmine University 

Belmont Abbey College 

Belmont University 

Bentley University 

Berklee College of Music 

Bethune-Cookman University 

Boston University 

Bryant University 

Bryn Mawr College 

Bucknell University 

Butler University 

Carnegie Mellon University 

Catawba College 

Champlain College 

Clemson University 

College of Charleston 

College of the Holy Cross 

Colorado State University, Fort Collins 

Columbia College, Chicago 

Davidson College 

DePaul University 

Dean College 

Drexel University 

Duke University 

East Carolina University 

Eastern University 

Eckerd College 

Edward Waters University 

Elon University 

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 

Daytona Beach 

Emory & Henry College 

Emory University 

Flagler College 

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 

Florida Atlantic University 

Florida Gulf Coast University 

Florida Institute of Technology 

Florida International University 

Florida Memorial University 

Florida Polytechnic University 

Florida Southern College 

Florida State University 

Fordham University 

Franklin & Marshall College 

Full Sail University 

Furman University 

George Mason University 

Georgetown University 

Georgia Institute of Technology 

Georgia State University 

Gonzaga University 

Goucher College 

Grinnell College 

High Point University 

Hillsborough Community College 

Hofstra University 

Huntington University 

IE University 

Illinois State University 

Indiana University, Bloomington 

Jacksonville University 

Kalamazoo College 

Kent State University 

Lander University 

Lehigh University 

Lenoir-Rhyne University 

Lindenwood University 

Long Island University (Brooklyn) 

Long Island University (Post) 

Louisiana State University 

Loyola University Chicago 

Lynn University 

Marymount Manhattan College 

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy 

and Health Sciences 

McGill University 

Mercer University 

Miami University, Oxford 

Michigan State University 

Miles College 

Mississippi State University 

Missouri State University, Springfield 

Mount Holyoke College 

Mount St. Maryʼs University 

New Jersey Institute of Technology 

New York University 

North Carolina State University 

North Greenville University 

Northeastern University 

Northwestern University 

Notre Dame College 

Nova Southeastern University 

Pace University, New York City 

Palm Beach Atlantic University 

Penn State University 

Pepperdine University 

Providence College 

Purdue University 

Queen's University 

Queens University of Charlotte 

Radford University 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 

Rhodes College 

Rice University 

Rivier University 

Roanoke College 

Rochester Institute of Technology 

Rollins College 

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 

Rutgers University 

SUNY College of Environmental Science 

and Forestry 

SUNY at Albany 

SUNY at Purchase College 


Saint Leo University 

Saint Louis University 

Samford University 

San Diego State University 

Santa Fe College 

Savannah College of Art and Design 

Seton Hall University 

Sewanee: The University of the South 

Shenandoah University 

Southeast Missouri State University 

Southeastern University 

Southwestern University 

St. Johnʼs University 

St. Thomas University 

Stetson University 

Stevens Institute of Technology 

Stony Brook University 

Suffolk University 

Sweet Briar College 

Syracuse University 

Tallahassee Community College 

Tennessee State University 

Texas Tech University 

The Ohio State University 

The University of Alabama 

The University of Tampa 

The University of Tennessee (Knoxville) 

Tiffin University 

Trinity College 

Tufts University 

Tulane University 

Union College 

University College Dublin 

University of Akron Main Campus 

University of Alabama at Birmingham 

University of Alberta 

University of Arizona 

University of Arkansas 

University of Arkansas at Little Rock 

University of British Columbia 

University of California, Davis 

University of California, Irvine 

University of California, Los Angeles 

University of California, Merced 

University of California, Riverside 

University of California, San Diego 

University of California, Santa Barbara 

University of California, Santa Cruz 

University of Central Florida 

University of Chicago 

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs 

University of Colorado, Boulder 

University of Colorado, Denver 

University of Connecticut 

University of Denver 

University of Florida 

University of Georgia 

University of Hartford 

University of Houston 

University of Illinois at Chicago 

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

University of Iowa 

University of Kansas 

University of Kentucky 

University of Louisville 

University of Maryland, College Park 

University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

University of Massachusetts, Boston 

University of Miami 

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 

University of Mississippi 

University of Nevada, Las Vegas 

University of North Carolina School of the Arts 

University of North Carolina, Charlotte 

University of North Carolina, Pembroke 

University of North Florida 

University of North Texas 

University of Oregon 

University of Pittsburgh 

University of Rhode Island 

University of Richmond 

University of San Francisco 

University of Scranton 

University of South Carolina 

University of South Florida, Tampa 

University of Southern California 

University of Tulsa 

University of Utah 

University of Vermont 

University of Virginia, Main Campus 

University of Wisconsin, Madison 

University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh 

University of Wisconsin, Whitewater 

University of the Pacific 

Valencia College 

Valparaiso University 

Vassar College 

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 

Wake Forest University 

Washington University, St. Louis 

Western Carolina University 

Western New England University 

Westfield State University 

Whitman College 

Whittier College 

Wingate University 

Winona State University 

Wright State University, Main Campus 

Xavier University 


CLASS OF 2023 

TREVOR TURNQUIST 

By Mrs. Marcia Bernatavitz, Director of College Guidance 

The Valedictorian of the Class of 2023 is Trevor Scott 

Turnquist. Trevor is from Clermont, Florida, and has been 

a student at Montverde Academy since Kindergarten. In 

his valedictory address during commencement, Trevor 

acknowledged his appreciation for his teachers and 

administrators in his 13 years at MVA. Specifically, he 

recognized Ms. Cyndi Cunningham, MVA Lower School 

and Master Teacher, for her influence on his passion for 

computer science and technology. 

Throughout high school, Trevor maintained a 4.54 GPA 

and completed 13 Advanced Placement courses. Overall, 

Trevor took 31 Upper School courses and earned an A in 

each of his courses. Additionally, he scored a 1,550 on his 

SAT. These academic achievements are balanced by his 

being a member of the MVA lacrosse team during his junior 

and senior years. 

Trevor will continue his education at the University of 

Florida this fall, studying computer science and electrical 

engineering. Dr. Anne Browdy, who was Trevor’s teacher 

for AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC, said, “I had the 

pleasure of teaching Trevor AP Calculus the last two years. 

Trevor was the quintessential calculus student. He was 

a careful listener in class and determined to understand 

all the concepts being presented. He will do well as he 

continues his calculus studies at UF.” 

Not only is Trevor an outstanding math student, but 

he also has a strong passion for physics. Additionally, 

Trevor displays a willingness to help his classmates. Mr. 

Stephen Whitfield, who taught Trevor’s AP Physics 1 and 

AP Physics C courses, said of him, “Complex concepts in 

physics come easily to Trevor, and he was always willing 

to help his peers when they may have been struggling with 

an assignment or activity. Even as the content became 

more challenging in AP Physics C, he had the same 

attitude toward assisting his peers and stepped up to 

become a leader for his group when working with others. 

Often, he would hold late night review sessions for the 

rest of his class so that they could pick up the necessary 

calculus skills that some did not have prior to taking the 

class. His willingness to step into that teaching role is a 

notch above any others I have encountered.” 

Trevor was very involved in a variety of clubs and 

organizations at MVA. He was a Distinguished Scholar; 

a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National 

Honor Society, and Science National Honor Society; 

a commended National Merit Scholar; and an AP Scholar 

with Distinction. Trevor was the President of the MVA 

Honor Council and a member of the Head of School 

Advisory Council, and he serves as a Youth Ambassador 

for the Tourette’s Association of America. 

Trevor Turnquist delivering the Valedictory Address 


Mr. Stalma, Trevor’s AP English Language and 

Composition teacher, stated, “The valedictorian 

is a culmination of more than just the highest 

academic excellence over the course of a high 

school career. The individual who achieved this 

honor for this graduating Class of 2023 has 

consistently displayed his talent, intelligence, 

maturity, and grit. I persistently pursued Trevor 

during his junior year to take AP Language and 

Composition during his senior year. Rarely do 

teachers campaign to get a student into their 

class, but his current teachers repeatedly extolled 

his reputation as a brilliant and diligent student, 

the type of student I feel fortunate to have the 

opportunity to teach. Our Valedictorian is a young 

man whose legacy at Montverde Academy was 

firmly established prior to his rigorous senior year 

slate of six Advanced Placement courses. Trevor 

Turnquist embodies all the desirable qualities 

Montverde Academy instills in the future leaders 

of the world.” 

In his valedictory address, Trevor acknowledged 

the challenges that have faced the Class of 2023 

and praised them as “a strong, tight-knit class 

of talented students, athletes, and performers.” 

Trevor encouraged them not to settle for “lowhanging 

fruit.” Instead, he said, “Each one of us 

has a different set of goals in our lives. Some are 

shooting for an MBA, and some are shooting for 

the NBA. Some want to explore the world, while 

others just want to live a life of comfort. No matter 

how ambitious your goals may be, you should 

never settle for less.” 

In addition to being recognized as the 

valedictorian during commencement, Trevor also 

received one of the four top senior awards, the 

Dalton Monroe Award. This award is given to the 

senior who is always able to see the positive side 

and keep their sense of humor despite significant 

adversity in his or her life and has managed to 

conquer that adversity and attain success at 

Montverde Academy. This award also included a 

$1,000 academic scholarship. 

The Montverde Academy community is extremely 

proud of Trevor and his accomplishments thus 

far. His intelligence, kind nature, and passion for 

knowledge will certainly be great contributors to 

his future success. 


CLASS OF 2023 

SIDDHARTHA SOMANI 

By Mrs. Marcia Bernatavitz, Director of College Guidance 

Siddhartha (Sid) Somani is the Salutatorian of the 

Montverde Academy Class of 2023. Originally from 

Bangalore, India, Sid has been a student at Montverde 

Academy since the eighth grade. He has a 4.53 GPA, 

has completed ten Advanced Placement classes, and 

achieved a 1550 SAT score. Sid is a Distinguished 

Scholar, a member of the National Honor Society and the 

National Science Honor Society. An athlete and captain 

with the International Junior Golf Academy, Sid has taken 

27 academic classes during his tenure in the Upper 

School at Montverde Academy and has achieved A's in 

each of these courses. He has also earned A’s in summer 

classes taken at the University of California, Santa Cruz. 

In March 2021, Sid combined his love for computer 

science with his love for golf when he began work 

on a project that attempted to improve or alleviate a 

widespread issue commonly faced by junior golfers: the 

inefficient entry of post-round statistics. The outcome 

of this project was a full-fledged app, which is available 

on the App Store and on Google Play. The app he 

created was able to efficiently enter metrics regarding 

an individual’s round of golf and was able to display a 

thorough summary of the stats of the round in an efficient 

and easily comprehensible manner, all while maintaining 

pleasant visual aesthetics. 

Sid will be attending the Georgia Institute of Technology 

this fall, studying computer science and computer/ 

electrical engineering. Of his passion for computer 

science, Sid said, “As my programming and CS skills 

progressed, I became captivated by the seemingly 

endless potential of programming and the various 

components it entails, specifically using code to analyze 

previously gathered data sets to predict accurate future 

outcomes. As a result, I am keen and eager to develop my 

CS skills and deepen my knowledge about programming. 

I am specifically interested in studying machine learning 

and Artificial Intelligence at the undergraduate level.” 

Once he is equipped with a degree in computer science 

and data analytics, he hopes to create a machine learning 

algorithm that can effectively analyze a product’s historical 

success to predict future outcomes that may assist during 

the process of product selection for a business, facilitating 

advancement and growth in the efficient analysis of data 

using computer algorithms/programs. 

Mr. David Bernatavitz, Siddhartha Somani, and Mr. Jon Hopman 


Sid is also a published researcher. His most 

recent exploration into the field of computer 

science consists of a research paper that 

is predicated upon the results of a survey 

conducted across Montverde Academy, 

which he conducted in May 2022. This survey 

establishes societal views and misconceptions 

regarding the improvements in technology, 

specifically the advancements in CS that 

are heading towards machine learning. In 

September 2022, this research paper was 

published to the Computer and Engineering 

Sciences and IT section of the North Asian 

Research Journal Center. 

Sid’s AP Statistics teacher, Mr. Mike Samide, 

says of him, “His consistent and persistent work 

ethic throughout was inspiring to see and had 

a positive impact on all of those around him.” 

His AP Computer Science teacher, 

Mr. Matthew Parets, also commented, “Sid is 

the personification of the word ‘potential,’ and 

his potential is limitless. Additionally, Sid is one 

of the hardest working students that I have ever 

had the pleasure of teaching. The tenacity 

with which he attacks a problem is a wonder 

to witness.” 

While he loves to pursue his own passions, 

Sid also values the importance of giving back 

to the community. He is a volunteer with First 

Tee, a nonprofit organization that provides 

underprivileged kids with the opportunity to 

receive an education, and he couples that 

education with golf lessons. As a volunteer for 

First Tee, Sid assists the hired golf coaches 

in setting up games and drill stations, 

discussing key learnings, and tallying 

attendance each session. As a volunteer 

for First Tee and a mentor to its students, 

Sid instills numerous life skills within 

them that are essential to one's 

character, such as integrity, patience, 

focus, reliability, and trust. 

Siddhartha Somani has made a 

tremendous impact on Montverde Academy, 

and we are eager to follow his path to Georgia 

Tech and beyond. Sid said of his experience at 

Montverde Academy, “MVA has prepared me 

to tackle challenges not only on an individual 

level but alongside a group of peers, as well. 

I am confident that the tight-knit environment 

that MVA fosters will benefit me while studying 

at a competitive yet collaborative school like 

Georgia Tech.” 


TOP OF THE 

CLASS 

2023 

By Mrs. Nichole Smith, Communications Coordinator 

Beyond the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of the Class of 2023 are ten students whose academic achievements and 

leadership skills are exemplary and worthy of recognition. These ten students continually exceeded expectations in 

academics, service, and extracurricular activities. Congratulations to this dynamic group of students. 

Leah Guerard was a member of the Science National Honor 

Society, the Environmental Club, and the Gay-Straight 

Alliance. Over the past four years, she has worked closely 

with a local nonprofit called Thrive Clermont where she plans 

events, hosts teen programs, runs social media accounts, 

and advises their Board of Directors on creating the 2023-27 

strategic plan. She took 13 AP courses and is grateful for her 

teachers at Montverde Academy. “My chemistry teacher, Dr. 

Ramirez, helped guide me to the decision to study chemistry 

in college. My advisor and math teacher, Ms. Dietrich, and 

Dr. Browdy have always supported me in school and pushed 

me to be successful academically. And Mr. Samide, who puts 

jokes in his AP Math lessons and has a great class energy, 

cares about his students and their success,” said Leah. 

She will attend Bryn Mawr College to major in chemistry 

and minor in mathematics. 

Scarlett Gunasekera was in the Physical Science STEM SAC 

program and was also a Music Conservatory student. She is 

part of two community barbershop choirs—Sisters of Sound 

and Unaccompanied Minors—and she sings with Daphodyls, 

a quartet comprised of her, Hanan Geda, Olivia Fontana, 

and Daphne Gunasekera, and dances at Not Just Dance. 

She took 13 AP courses, and is grateful for the programs and 

teachers at MVA. “I could always go after school or during 

club time to ask questions,” said Scarlett. “The teachers want 

you to do well, so they will help out to the best of their ability.” 

Scarlett will attend Cornell University where she hopes to 

major in either chemistry or biochemistry with a minor in music 

and one day pursue a Ph.D. 

Colby Helms was on the weightlifting team and was a 

member of the Arts and Athletic Leadership Council at MVA. 

He was the founder of the Pep Band where he played guitar, 

organized practices, and taught members their parts. He is 

grateful for Mrs. Mary Mincy, the Middle and Upper School 

piano instructor and accompanist. “Mrs. Mincy has helped 

me to leave my legacy here at MVA as she agreed to sponsor 

the Pep Band and is now teaching a music production class, 

both of which provide new and exciting musical opportunities 

for the students,” said Colby. He will attend the University of 

Florida where he plans to pursue his undergraduate degree 

in preparation for law school. Beyond college, he hopes 

to become successful enough to where he can provide 

opportunities for others, especially through music. 

Mia Hornberger was the captain of the girls varsity golf team 

at MVA, the Girls Golf Ambassador on the Arts and Athletics 

Leadership Committee, a member of the Honor Council, and 

was a math tutor at MVA. She volunteered at South Lake 

Hospital, which inspired her to pursue a career in the medical 

field. She is grateful for the influence and support of Coach 

Kelly Golden-Neer. “Coach Kelly has always helped me stay 

positive and motivated throughout the golf season even 

though school was stressful,” said Mia. She will attend the 

University of Florida to pursue an undergraduate degree that 

will help prepare her for medical school. 

Hannah Huff has been a competitive dancer since the age 

of seven, and she was part of the Distinguished Scholars 

Program at MVA, along with the Science National Honor 

Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and the Environmental Club. She 

took 11 AP courses and is grateful for the life skills she 

obtained at the Academy. “MVA has challenged me to balance 

outside responsibilities while still keeping up with my work,” 

said Hannah. “At times, it was difficult managing everything, 

but the positivity of some of my teachers motivated me to 

keep up with all that was expected of me.” She will attend 

Florida State University to pursue a degree in psychology and 

hopefully a master’s degree and Ph.D. to enable her to find 

an enjoyable career where she can help others. Regardless of 

her career choices, she is certain that dance will be a part of 

her life for as long as possible. 

Natalie Nesmith was the President of the National Honor 

Society and a part of the Head of School Leadership Institute 

as a member of the Student Leadership Council. She was 

the Arts and Athletic Leadership Committee Representative 

for cross country. She participated in varsity track & field and 

cross country since the sixth grade and was the team captain. 

Natalie took 11 AP courses and is grateful for the teachers 

and programs at MVA that helped make her success possible. 


Leah Guerard Scarlett Gunasekera Colby Helms Mia Hornberger Hannah Huff 

Natalie Nesmith Troy Scott Mason Shale Zackary Spangler Kendall Walsworth 

“Being a part of the track & field program helped me 

find my confidence and showed me the power of hard 

work,” said Natalie. “Coach Gerald Phiri, Coach Dustin 

Spanbauer, and Coach Michelle Howell have been my 

biggest supporters and mentors. Ms. Courtney Richardson 

has always been there to guide me and lighten my day, 

Mr. Stephen Whitfield taught me humility, Mr. Mike Samide 

showed me it is possible to enjoy math, and Mr. Todd 

Lamb influenced my decision to pursue law.” Natalie 

will attend the University of Florida to double major in 

psychology and food & resource economics before 

going to law school. 

Troy Scott was the captain of the lacrosse team, an 

officer of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and on the 

Honor Council. He took eight AP courses and is grateful 

for the lessons he learned from being on the lacrosse 

team. “The lacrosse program has helped me learn life 

lessons while allowing me to pe a part of a team and 

develop attributes that will help me throughout the rest of 

my life,” said Troy. He will attend the University of Florida 

where he will major in construction management. 

Beyond college, he hopes to set himself up for 

success throughout his life. 

Mason Shale played soccer for SIMA and enjoys going to 

the gym and playing golf in his free time. He took eight AP 

courses and is grateful to MVA for helping him to reach his 

dream. “MVA programs have allowed me to achieve one of 

my dreams, which is to play Division 1 soccer in college,” 

said Mason. “My teachers and guidance counselors 

have all helped me through tough times, and I’m very 

grateful for them.” Mason will play soccer at Lindenwood 

University where he will major in business marketing with 

a minor in business finance. Beyond college, he hopes to 

be a professional soccer player or work in the business 

field. He also plans to become a scratch golfer once he is 

no longer devoting as much time to soccer. 

Zackary Spangler was in the Biomedical STEM SAC 

and was a member of the Honor Council, National Honor 

Society, and Science National Honor Society. He played 

soccer for SIMA and was an Eagle Ambassador. He 

enjoys singing, lyrical writing, and graphic design. He 

took nine AP courses and is grateful for his teachers and 

the opportunities afforded to him at the Academy. “The 

teachers are kind, patient, knowledgeable, and available 

to help at all times,” said Zackary. “MVA programs provide 

a great basis for gathering experience and knowledge 

that will most definitely be applicable in college.” Zackary 

will be attending the University of Florida to major in 

biomedical engineering. After college, he hopes to go 

to medical school while continuing to make music 

and perform. 

Kendall Walsworth was in the STEM Sustainability 

SAC program. She was President of the Environmental 

Club; and she was the Head Eagle Ambassador, a board 

member of the Advocates for Gender Equality, and a 

member of the Gay-Straight Alliance. She was also the 

head choreographer for the Pom Squad and a dancer at 

Relevé School of Dance where she trained in hip hop, 

jazz, ballet, and pointe and was part of their highestlevel 

performance team. She took 12 AP courses and 

is grateful for the many opportunities that have been 

afforded to her at MVA. “From the STEM SAC program to 

the Head of School Leadership program, I have had the 

opportunity to achieve my academic potential and connect 

with fellow students, faculty, and esteemed community 

leaders who have helped shape my perspective on the 

world and influence who I’ll grow up to be,” said Kendall. 

“Without these programs, I would not have had the 

same opportunities to push myself to achieve beyond 

the classroom, grow my abilities that will serve me in 

my future endeavors, and build relationships with those 

around me.” Kendall will be attending the University 

of Florida to major in sustainability studies. After her 

undergraduate studies, she plans to attend law school and 

become an environmental attorney. 


STUDENT 

SPOTLIGHTS 

Student Spotlights were written by Mrs. Nichole Smith, Communications Coordinator 

DYLAN BOVA 

Theatre goers in the Montverde Academy community 

might recognize Dylan Bova as Violet Beauregarde from 

the Middle School production of “Willy Wonka,” who 

transformed into a blueberry after chewing a defective 

piece of chewing gum. But off the stage, this eighth grader 

is a delightful force to be reckoned with, a student who is 

driven not only to succeed herself but also to empower 

others to find their own success. 

When Dylan was eight years old, long before she was 

a student at MVA, she and her mom were on their way 

home from a theatre competition, and her mom said, 

“Hey, [MVA] has a show today. Do you want to go see if 

they have any available seats?” The show was “The Little 

Mermaid,” and Dylan was so impressed with the show and 

with the Fine Arts program that she remembers saying to 

herself, “I want to be a part of this troupe one day.” 

Dylan enrolled in MVA her sixth-grade year and was eager 

to get involved. She took the Fine Arts rotation elective, 

and she also participated in Conservatory Shadow Day. 

In the seventh grade, she joined the Music Conservatory 

where she sang and played piano, and she also started 

performing in some of the Theatre Conservatory shows. 

She first sang in the ensemble for “Secret Garden” and 

later played the role of Brigitta in “The Sound of Music.” 

She also performed in the Vocal Salon, “Cabaret: 

American Top 40,” and “100 Years of Broadway”; and 

most recently, she played the role of Violet Beauregarde 

in “Willy Wonka.” 

She greatly values the sense of family at MVA. “There are 

so many people that have the same passions and like to 

do the same things I do, so being able to collaborate with 

everybody and having people you can actively work with is 

really cool. And we’re all best friends, too.” 

She considers her own craft to be fine arts and community 

service, and she hopes one day to combine those two 

passions. “The arts can be a tough business for everyone, 

but particularly women, minorities, children, and other 

at-risk groups, so I want to start a theatre company and 

a record label that is a safe space for all artists, bringing 

inclusivity and opportunity for diverse communities and 

giving them a place where they can feel comfortable 

performing their craft and executing their art on their 

terms,” Dylan said. 

Her passion for community service developed in the 

sixth grade when she began volunteering. In the seventh 

grade, she joined the Builders Club and was inducted 

into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) where she 

was elected secretary. Both the Builders Club and NJHS 

gave her opportunities to participate in various donation 

drives. By the time she was in the eighth grade, she was 

elected president of NJHS and had even formed her own 

nonprofit organization called Project Red Light. The goal 

of Project Red Light is to spread awareness about human 

trafficking in Central Florida. This spring, Project Red Light 

hosted a self-defense class here on campus, and the 

Lake County Sherriff’s Department volunteered to teach 

the class, which filled up with 20 eager participants very 

quickly. Project Red Light donated the nearly 500 dollars 

in the event’s proceeds to Nomi Network, a nonprofit 

organization that provides career opportunities for people 

who are most vulnerable to human trafficking. Dylan 

hopes to offer even more classes next year. 

“Ms. Benner was my sponsor for Project Red Light. She 

was always there to support me and give me advice, 

and she told me who to talk to. She’s been amazing,” 

said Dylan. 

Dylan feels that what has helped her to be successful in 

reaching her goals is Montverde Academy’s ability to let 

students explore new things. “Everybody here is so open 

to new ideas and new things. They want to see everybody 

succeed. They’re not here to see you fail.” 


ALAFAIR SCELFO 

Alafair Scelfo, Class of ’30, has been attending Montverde Academy since Pre-K3. With an 

eclectic list of hobbies, from fashion designing to running cross country, she remains humble in the 

face of her successes. Instead of growing comfortable in her successes, though, she maintains 

a laser-sharp focus on having a growth mindset and is always looking for ways to improve and 

maximize her potential. 

Her current long-term goal is to be a 

fashion designer. “I really want to focus 

on design because when I get older, 

I want to have my own place to design 

one day,” said Alafair. “I want that to be 

my big future. I love it, and it makes me 

happy. But I don’t know the future, so it 

may change over time.” Alafair’s mom 

has helped fuel her burgeoning interest 

in design and has always told her that 

she has a great imagination and is very 

creative. She has a red sketchbook that 

she uses to draw outfits and jewelry, and 

she even asks her siblings to pick a color 

for her sketches. “Whenever I sketch, I 

feel like I’m in my own creative zone and 

I’m so positive,” said Alafair. “It makes me 

feel good.” 

Although she wants to focus on design 

when she is older, one thing she said that 

she will always have with her is running. 

She started running in the first grade. 

“I was always racing someone, and I was 

always second or third. But I didn’t like 

being second or third – I wanted to be 

first,” Alafair said. As her love for running 

grew, she and her family set up markers in 

their neighborhood and ran there together. 

Alafair began participating in various 5K’s 

with her family, including the Turkey Trot 

and the Disney ® 5K. 

Last year, she ran in the Junior Olympics 

where she qualified for the 1500 and the 

3000. She received a medal for qualifying. 

She learned quite a bit about herself as an 

athlete during that time, and at this year’s 

Lower School track meet, she pushed 

herself. “It’s in her to be an athlete,” said 

Damu Mitchell, Vice President of Star 

Athletics who assisted with the track 

meet. “But what I like about her is that, 

for the track meet this year, she really 

wanted to run the 800. I told her, ‘Alafair, 

I don’t know how we’re going to do this,’ 

but she said, ‘I really want to run this 800 

because I have a time that I need to beat 

so I can practice and get ready for the 

summer.’ For a kid in fifth grade to have 

that mentality, that means that she’s going 

to be a great competitor. We ended up not 

doing the 800, but she still ran the 400. 

She went out there, and she ran every 

event like it was her last, like that was the 

only event she was doing, and she won 

them all. We picked Athletes of the Meet, 

and she was one of them. She’s a 

great leader.” 

When talking with Alafair, one can’t help 

but wonder where she finds her drive 

and desire to always be improving. She 

gives credit to her strong support system. 

One of the people who provided her with 

immense support was her first-grade 

teacher at Montverde Academy, Mrs. 

Dana Cook. “I really liked her, and I felt 

that she really pushed me in my reading. 

And all the other teachers I’ve had so 

much fun with. I love science. 

Mrs. Whiffen always makes it fun.” 

Her family, she feels, is the best support 

that she could possibly get. “My siblings 

really help me during tough times,” said 

Alafair. “They’ll talk to me. They’ll give 

me their honest opinion. They really do 

push me. Even my little brother, he’s 

awesome.” Her dad is always pushing 

her to be her best and often says, 

“Alafair, if you want to be good at this, if 

you want to get better, you need to push 

yourself.” She says that he always gives 

her pep talks about life. Her mom helps 

her with her designs and with her running 

and also offers her suggestions on ways 

to improve in various areas, such as 

placing sticky notes on the mirror. 

The phrase that seems to touch every 

area of her life are the words from her 

mom, “Always be kind. Kindness is key.” 

Alafair’s kindness and drive will take her 

far in life, and those who know her are 

certainly eager to see how her 

future unfolds. 




Dennis and Damu Mitchell have been a part of the 

Montverde Academy community for the past 12 

years. In 2011, their company Star Athletics began 

using MVA’s facility to train Olympic track & field athletes. 

After their daughter Aaleyah was born, it didn’t take them 

long to realize that MVA would be the best place for her to 

go to school, a decision that they never took lightly. 

Before they enrolled their daughter, Damu was also a 

gymnastics coach, and many of the students at MVA came 

to the gymnastics center where she worked to receive 

gymnastics training. She developed a great rapport with 

those students and was impressed by the amount of 

support they received from the school in their athletic 

endeavors. The Academy’s good athletic reputation, 

paired with its stellar reputation in academics, made the 

idea of enrolling their daughter more and more appealing. 

“My daughter isn’t even on that level yet,” said Damu, “but 

just the idea that if it ever came up, she could still pursue 

her academics and her sports and still graduate in a 

school setting and not have to be homeschooled.” 

The Mitchells enrolled their daughter at MVA at the 

beginning of her Pre-K3 year. Aaleyah is in the second 

grade, and looking back over the past five years, Damu 

can definitely see the positive effects an MVA education 

has had on her daughter. “When she first started Pre-K3, 

she was talking, but she wasn’t as expressive. I noticed 

within the first month or two, she wouldn’t stop talking,” 

said Damu. “It’s like she just opened up, and all of a 

sudden, she kept talking about all these things at school 

and all the things that were happening. And this was as 

a three-year-old. Then we started seeing her speech get 

better, her vocabulary, just little basic things. And from 

there, I noticed, as we were going through the Lower 

School, that each of the teachers was taking the time to 

get to know her individually. They don’t place all the kids in 

a box – they actually take the time to figure out what they 

can do to help the child. They’re always communicating, 

and if she’s having trouble, they’ll tell me and we’ll try to 

come up with a game plan to fix it.” 

One thing Dennis appreciates are the many extracurricular 

opportunities that are available even at the Lower School 

level. “The thing I like is that they keep the kids busy,” 

said Dennis. “When we pick her up in the afternoon, she 

doesn’t even want to leave. As a parent, you know that 

your child is comfortable when they don’t want to leave. 

You know that it is an environment that they see 

as a plus.” 

Students in the Lower School can be introduced to 

many different sports and clubs after school. Aaleyah 

has participated in choir, beach volleyball, basketball, 

swimming, and violin. “I catch her recording herself on her 

iPad. She’ll send the video to all my family, and they’ll say, 

‘Aaleyah just sent us a video of her playing violin.’” With 

these activities being offered right after school, she has 

time to devote to tennis and dance off campus. 

Dennis also appreciates how the students’ behavioral 

expectations are communicated to the students during 

assembly. “When you go to their assemblies or walk 

into the building, you can feel the energy in the air,” said 

Dennis. “All the energy is coming from Ms. Shackelford. 

She probably has been the biggest influence [in the Lower 

School]. Her vision sets the tone for everything that 

goes on.” 

One of the things that the Mitchells highly value is the 

Academy’s commitment to diversity. “What I like about 

Montverde Academy is the diversity and how they 

celebrate everybody’s culture. Especially with us being 

African American, it’s very important for our daughter to be 

mixed with all types of people from all different races. And 

I love that it’s celebrated here and that it’s not a problem 

that you are different and that you can learn about each 

other. For me, that is huge because I honestly don’t think 

she would get that anywhere else.” 

The Mitchells often find ways to give back to the Academy. 

Every year, they help Coach Golden-Neer train Lower 

School students who are interested in participating in the 

annual track meet. “It’s Coach Golden-Neer's program,” 

said Damu. “What we do is we start getting together about 

a month before the track meet, shooting emails back and 

forth. And then we get together and run the practices.” 

From there, Damu, Coach Golden-Neer, and 

Mrs. Melissa Tomlinson organize the track meet 

and create the heat sheets. 

The goal of the track meet is for students to have fun. 

“We don’t get into the technical details – we just make it a 

fun time because it’s really hot outside. If we know we’re 

going to run some 200s that day, we say, ‘We’re going to 

run a 200, and after that, you’re going to get a drink. Who 

can get the drink the fastest?’ We just make it into a game. 

‘I don’t care how you run it. I don’t care how you did it. 

Just finish. If you have to walk, that’s fine.’ The key is just 

to make it fun.” 

The many things that the Mitchells love about their 

daughter receiving a Montverde Academy education are 

working in tandem to prepare her for her future. “The 

future for me is way past high school,” said Dennis. “Being 

part of this environment prepares her academically and 

hopefully socially, too, for when she goes to college. For 

a dad, the scariest time is when you send your daughter 

away for college. But these teachers and administrators 

are giving her the foundation to make good choices when 

she goes into that college arena.” 



Mr. Walter Eksteen and Mrs. Natasja Eksteen were both 

raised in the beautiful province of the Eastern Cape in 

South Africa. Their insatiable yearning to travel the 

world eventually led them to settle in sunny 

Montverde, Florida. 


Mr. Walter Eksteen is the Dean of Students and Mrs. 

Natasja Eksteen is the Administrative Assistant to the 

Dean of Students for Residential Life at Montverde 

Academy. Mr. Eksteen went to the University of Port 

Elizabeth to pursue a degree in human movement 

science, and Mrs. Eksteen went to Port Elizabeth 

College to study travel and tourism. When he was in his 

second year of college and she in her first year, they 

met at a church camp where they were both working as 

counselors. “We were busy peeling potatoes around this 

big basin. I put my hand in to pick up another potato, and 

he nicked my finger with a peeler,” said Mrs. Eksteen. “I 

was looking at her,” said Mr. Eksteen, “and wasn’t paying 

attention to the peeling, but luckily there was no blood!” 

“That’s where our journey started,” Mrs. Eksteen said. 

After they finished college, they were married in 1996. 

At the time, Mr. Eksteen was a professional tennis coach 

and Mrs. Eksteen was a travel agent when they received 

the amazing opportunity to travel and work in the United 

States as dorm parents at a tennis academy in Tampa 

where their daughter, Mikayla, was born. After living 

in Tampa, they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where their 

son, Divan, was born. After having children, they often 

reminisced on their childhood when they played in the 

mud and in the trees back in South Africa. They wanted 

their children to be close to nature and have a childhood 

similar to their own. 

In 2007, the family moved to South Africa, and 

Mr. Eksteen began working at St. Andrews College in 

Grahamstown. While in South Africa, they welcomed 

their third child, Steffan. Later, Mrs. Eksteen took a job 

as an administrative assistant to the director of the music 

school at St. Andrews College. “Music is one of my 

biggest passions, singing and music,” said Mrs. Eksteen. 

“I absolutely loved my job there. It was a very similar 

boarding environment to Montverde Academy. I think 

that’s why Walter and I fit in here so easily. This school 

reminds us a lot about what we had in South Africa.” 

Although South Africa delivered on the picturesque 

images from their memory, their jobs didn’t afford them 

with many opportunities to travel abroad, so the children 

had not been exposed to a wide variety of cultures, 

something that they both felt was of the utmost importance 

for their children. So, when an opportunity opened for 

Mr. Eksteen to coach tennis in Vermont for the entire 

summer of 2017, they knew they had to take it. During that 

time, they were able to show their children the Eastern 

Seaboard of the US, from Florida all the way to Canada. 

“It was the most incredible experience with our kids,” 

Mrs. Eksteen recalled. 

When the summer ended and the Eksteens returned to 

their home in South Africa, they knew they wanted to 

return to the US and settle permanently. Not long after 

their daughter graduated from high school, Mr. Eksteen 

received an opportunity for a position as Director of 

Student Care at International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) 

in Howey-in-the-Hills. “For that kind of role at this stage of 

my career, based on my sporting background, educational 

background, and boarding background, it was a perfect 

fit,” said Mr. Eksteen. 

Mrs. Eksteen began her position at Montverde Academy 

in the residential life department. With her being at MVA, 

with their two youngest children being enrolled at the 

Academy, and with Mr. Eksteen having a connection to 

MVA through IJGA, it was only a matter of time before 

he would come on board as MVA’s Dean of Students. 

The Eksteens knew they had found what they were 

looking for, a place where they could grow and thrive as a 

family and also contribute their knowledge and expertise 

to a diverse institution that shares their values. 

What both of them bring Mr. to Urquhart their position with grandson is a shared Charlie love 

of what they do and a desire to help others. “Walter and 

I have always had a love for children. We want to have 

a positive impact on their lives and see how we can help 

them on their journey as they grow from being children 

to adults,” said Mrs. Eksteen. “My day-to-day grind is 

organizing transportation for our boarding students to 

and from the airport. I love doing that – I enjoy it. And 

they come in and have ideas for weekend activities.” 

She’s had many conversations with students about ideas 

to be implemented in the future and wants to put those 

ideas into action. “I want them to leave twelfth grade here 

and miss their dorm friends and think, ‘The time I had at 

Montverde Academy in my boarding house was amazing.’” 

“I’m in charge of discipline,” said Mr. Eksteen, “but I have 

so many conversations with students to try to help them 

understand what’s right and wrong and how to avoid 

getting into trouble. What we think we bring is enthusiasm 

and I hope consistency. Natasja, Kirstin Coffman, 

Margaret Price, and I work extremely closely together; 

and we work hard to try to make our doors open and 

approachable enough for students to pop in and say, 

‘Hey, I need help with this or I need help with that.’ And 

that’s been good. Kids knock on our doors all the time, 

which is kind of the relationship that we all want to see.” 

They are eager to see what the future holds for them. 

“The doors just opened up for us,” said Mrs. Eksteen, 

“and we know that there’s a purpose and a plan for us 

here. And we are just very excited.” 


LOWER SCHOOL 

By Ms. Cyndi Cunningham, Lower School Technology & Theatre Arts Master Teacher 

Twice a week, students in grades 1-5 enter the Lower School Computer Technology Lab to ignite 21st century 

skills – creative thinking, problem solving, collaborating, and effectively using technology to reach an end result 

with coding. Using two programs – Code.org and CS First with Google ® – students are building the skills and 

knowledge of what it takes to build a computer program in their computer enrichment class. 

The first words out of bright-eyed first and second graders’ 

mouths are “Can we get started?” They quickly log in to 

Code.org, a website that uses a structured format to help 

students to build and run code using blocks of instructions. 

The lessons are so engaging that students cheer and give 

themselves “self high fives” when they figure out a hard 

sequence of instructions or solve a difficult problem. 

Beginning in third grade, students move on to CS First, 

which uses Scratch, a popular programming site developed 

by MIT. Scratch is so useful as a teaching tool that it is used 

in Harvard’s CS50 Introduction to Computer Programming. 

Lower School students get to use the exact same tools to 

create digital stories and build games. 

Where Code.org is very structured with predetermined goals, 

CS First and Scratch let students use their creativity with more 

open-ended projects. “The thing I find most exciting about 

learning to code is that I can create characters and make a 

story that’s the way I want,” says Lower School fourth grader 

Vicente Pacheco. 

Fifth grader Evan Vogel agrees. “I enjoy the different sprites 

[characters] they use. I [also] like solving problems...coding 

makes you smarter.” 

Kendall Nailos, also a fifth grader, enjoys game design. 

“Computer coding is kind of arranging words or blocks in a 

specific order to make computers do thing. I like finishing it 

and seeing what it can do afterwards, and if it's a game, I like 

playing the game.” 


Arjun Persaud, another coder from Kendall’s class, says, 

“What I liked best is the feeling you get when you finally 

finish a part of code [after] figuring out an error and getting 

rid of it.” He added, “Everything was so fun.” 

The fun and learning continue in the Lower School’s 

Robotics after-school activity for fourth and fifth graders. 

The activity is held once a week and uses Vex Go kits. 

The kits are made up of sets of parts and tools that allow 

students to construct and deconstruct a variety of robots. 

Working in teams, students build a variety of robots that 

range from simple machines to ones that can be coded 

on the Vex App on the students’ iPads. Jason El-Bacha, 

a fourth grader, his favorite project was building a robotic 

arm “because it’s like building an extension of your 

own arm.” 

Nevaeh Driscoll, a fourth grader who loves frogs, loved a 

project where students used robotic parts to construct the 

different stages of the life cycle of a frog. “It helped me to 

learn. When I was stuck, it helped me when I had to figure 

it out.” 

Thierno Diallo, a fourth grader, was another fan of the 

project. “The frog project was my favorite. My group was 

fun to work with, and it was my first time doing robotics.” 

These students embraced teamwork and collaboration 

throughout the run of the activity. Fourth grader Isabell 

Wojnowksi said, “My favorite part about being in robotics 

is doing the building [and] being able to work together 

with other people.” 

“I find learning new things exciting and cool,” says another 

fourth grader, Juliette Kennedy-Diaz. “I get to work with 

my friends and, I learn things from them, too.” 

Abieyuwa Yisa-Salami, a fifth grader, and her team are 

taking collaboration a step further by making a time-lapse 

video of their building processes on their iPads. “We really 

like to do it so we can go back and look at everything we 

did to build our robots. Seeing the whole thing just makes 

you feel good.” 

Students also built mobile versions of the robots called 

“Base Models” that could be driven using a VEX app on 

their iPads. Student teams could be found around the 

classroom and in the nearby halls testing and driving their 

robots. Caylin Boyke-Bailey, a fifth grader, said she felt 

more confident in her abilities through the process. “When 

you build and code something, you get to see it move 

when it’s supposed to.” 

Evan Vogel, a fifth grader, is also a big fan. “I feel more 

confident about coding. I feel more confident about solving 

problems. I feel more confident that I can build cool things 

and learn how to make them work.” 

Fostering that confidence and student-driven excitement 

in building critical thinking skills is the driving force for 

both the Lower School Computer Technology enrichment 

and the Robotics activity. These young learners have 

embraced problem-solving skills and collaborative 

experiences that they can take with them outside the 

doors of the Technology Lab and build and create for 

years to come. 


Lower School Honors Night 


Mr. Jon Hopman, Coach Kelly Golden-Neer, Ms. Meristell Shackelford, and Mr. Yordin Robinson 

2022-23 

LOWER SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR 

Coach Kelly Golden-Neer 

By Ms. Cyndi Cunningham, Lower School Technology & Theatre Arts Master Teacher 

When teachers are compared to superheroes, one 

name that consistently comes to mind is Lower School 

PE Coach Kelly Golden-Neer. Coach Golden-Neer 

is a favorite among the students because of her fun, 

calm, level-headed demeanor she maintains amidst 

teaching all the Lower School students from our little 

learners in lessons on exercising their gross motor skills 

and movement to older students building volleyball 

techniques, learning to cooperate in team sports, 

and playing kickball with their whole heart. 

A talented softball player in her own right, Coach 

Golden-Neer is a Lee University alum who holds a 

place in the Lee University Hall of Fame. For four years 

she shared her leadership abilities at the college level, 

coaching at Lake Sumter Community College before 

joining Montverde Academy as the girls softball coach. 

During that time, she took on the additional role as the 

Lower School PE coach where she has been a natural 

fit, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Just ask any of 

her Lower School team members, and you will find we 

all think she has a superhero cape hidden under her 

clothes. Besides her amazing abilities in the gym and on 

the field, her dedication, flexibility, and kind-heartedness 

Virtual Reality 

to meet the needs of students and team members alike 

are second to none. Running so many activities from the 

hamburger grill at previous Night for the Cure events to 

the annual Lower School Track Meet, her heart and spirit 

are clearly evident. 

And if you are searching for Super Coach Golden-Neer 

over summer break, you may have to look to the water 

where she and her husband love to spend much of their 

time. But don’t look too hard. Even superheroes need a 

little break. Congratulations, Coach! 

Besides her amazing abilities in the 

gym and on the field, her dedication, 

flexibility, and kind-heartedness to 

meet the needs of students and team 

members alike are second to none. 

Ms. Cyndi Cunningham, Lower School 

Technology & Theatre Arts Master Teacher 


1 2 

3 4 5 

1. Mrs. Shirley’s Class 

2. Mrs. Shirley and Alexander Geffen 

3. Mrs. Shirley and Andrew Athans 

4. Mrs. Sinopoli and Edith Smith 

5. Nana Yaw Frempong, Gloria Griffin 

6. Mrs. Sinopli’s Class 

Congrats! 

6 


3 

1 2 

4 

5 6 7 

1. Anabelle Wang and Grace Young 

2. Mrs. Meder and Ava Sedo 

3. Lucia Provenzano, Lily Saint Amand, 

Alafair Scelfo, Alon Scelfo 

4. Mrs. Dougherty and Joseph Bobilin 

5. Mrs. Meder and Arjun Persaud 

6. Mrs. Dougherty and Alyssa Gil 

7. Fifth Grade Performance 

8 

8. Fifth Grade Performance 



One of the goals of the Middle School’s science department is to teach students the 

process of the scientific method, enabling them to apply it to situations they encounter 

across all other disciplines and throughout other areas of their everyday life. The Middle 

School science teachers want students to ask important questions, to wonder why 

things work the way they do, to be responsible consumers of information, and to leave 

their classrooms as lifelong learners of science, forever sharpening their critical thinking 

skills and becoming informed citizens who interact responsibly with each other and 

with the planet. 

In sixth grade science, the curriculum focuses on the 

foundations of the scientific method. Students learn to 

ask questions and make observations; form hypotheses; 

make inferences; and predict an outcome based on their 

research, background knowledge, and class discussions. 

In the next stage, they design an experiment where they 

have the opportunity to use their gathered evidence to 

test their hypotheses and summarize their findings. 

Learning the foundations of the scientific method not 

only prepares students for their future science classes, 

but it also teaches them to be critical thinkers for the rest 

of their lives. 

Mrs. Casey Volpe, the sixth grade earth and space 

science teacher, said, “When students come in as sixth 

graders, not only am I teaching them science, I’m also 

teaching them how to be independent Middle School 

students. In the first quarter, students learn to work both 

independently and with a team.” Once the foundation 

of the scientific method is established early on, 

the curriculum moves through the earth’s systems – 

weather, water, ocean currents, the layers of the earth 

(plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.), and space. 

“As we go through each of the systems,” continued 

Mrs. Volpe, “we’re using all of the skills that they learned 

in the beginning to make observations and use handson 

activities to promote lifelong learning. We also cover 

Earth’s place in the universe, focusing on the interaction 

between Earth, the moon, and the sun, and how we are 

exploring other planets in our solar system and beyond 

to determine if there are any other habitable places 

out there.” 


Alejandra Burgos-Valentin, a rising seventh grader, 

hopes one day to pursue a career in space or weather 

science. “I feel that sixth grade science has been very 

helpful in preparing me for more challenging science 

classes in the future,” said Alejandra. “One of the things 

I learned was to be independent in learning. I feel that 

this helped me figure out things even when I did not 

understand them. Also, I learned very important things 

like the scientific method and doing experiments 

that helped me prepare for harder experiments in 

future classes.” 

By the end of sixth grade science, students have 

an understanding of the earth’s surface, water, the 

atmosphere, and how they interact to support life on 

our planet. When they enter the seventh grade, they 

encounter the question What constitutes a living thing? 

as they continue to engage with the scientific method. 

Mrs. Joslyn Roberts-Judy, the seventh-grade life science 

teacher, said, “We start to talk about cycles. Most items 

that we deal with day to day are a part of a biotic system. 

They either were alive, are alive, or may be a part of a 

building block that will be alive.” This leads into scientific 

laws and theories. One goal is for students to gain an 

understanding of how scientific laws and theories can 

change over time as new evidence emerges. One of 

Mrs. Judy’s favorite archaic theories that she enjoys telling 

students about is the theory of spontaneous generation. 

“They always laugh at that,” said Mrs. Judy. “They think 

it’s the silliest thing that that’s what we used to think.” But 

she uses this theory to promote the idea of the importance 

of being a lifelong learner and challenging their thinking as 

they discover contrary evidence. 

Eisha Cheema, a rising eighth grader, wishes to pursue 

a career in the medical field and feels that seventh grade 

science built a strong foundation for that career path. 

“Seventh grade science has helped me prepare for more 

challenging science classes in the future because many 

higher-level classes require a strong foundation in biology, 

such as genetics, evolution, and cellular structures and 

functions,” said Eisha. “Seventh grade science has 

aroused my curiosity and has helped me with problem 

solving, data analysis, and scientific writing. Doing 

experiments with my classmates has helped build my 

teamwork skills and communication skills with others 

in my class.” 

When students reach the eighth grade, they continue to 

learn and build on the scientific method, but the focus 

shifts to data. Students consider how they will represent 

data, how they will graph it, and how they will analyze it. 

They begin to hone statistical tools that many students 

elsewhere do not encounter until college. 

I believe the Montverde 

Academy Middle School 

science program is inspiring, 

insightful, informative, and 

truly something special. 

Dhairya Rupareliya, Rising Ninth Grader 

Mr. Werner, the eighth grade physical science teacher, 

said, “They learn how to use spreadsheets and tools 

that scientists use. They look at actual published works 

and see that their writing is very similar to the published 

works.” For the first half of the year, students learn these 

skills and how science works. They formulate their own 

experiments; sharpen their research skills; and learn how 

to find information, evaluate sources, and cite sources. 

“When they do projects, I want them to choose topics that 

they are very interested in,” said Mr. Werner. “We had a 

student this year who pulled up some research that was 

published in a biomechanics journal, and he actually 

critiqued it. He argued how it was wrong and gave good 

reasons why it was wrong. The student was dead on. And 

I said, ‘Hey, future sports scientist right there.’ He really 

knows his craft. All of these students will remember these 

experiments for the rest of their lives because they spent a 

week collecting data and doing all of this for the thing that 

they love. That’s the lifelong learner part. They can see 

that you can use science for everything that you do.” In 

the second semester, students apply the skills acquired in 

the first semester to physics and chemistry, making them 

well prepared for Upper School science classes. 

Dhairya Rupareliya, a rising ninth grader, feels that his 

science classes in the Middle School have prepared him 

well for the classes he will take after entering the Upper 

School this coming school year. “I learned in the Middle 

School the basics and fundamentals of science – earth 

science, biology, physics, and much more,” said Dhairya. 

“Learning these basics and fundamentals, combined 

with my amazing teachers who taught them, will make it 

much easier in the Upper School to get a good grasp and 

understanding of the content. It will allow me to go deep 

into understanding the more complex concepts without 

having to trace back to the basics. I also believe that the 

Middle School science program sparked my passion and 

interest for science because of the many opportunities to 

explore, and it instilled in me an interest in many areas of 

science. I believe the Montverde Academy Middle School 

science program is inspiring, insightful, informative, and 

truly something special.” 


MIDDLE SCHOOL 

Ms. 

Melissa 

Benner 

By Ms. Courtney Williams, Middle School Social Studies Teacher 

Mr. Troy Urquhart, Ms. Melissa Benner, and Mrs. Emilie Fracker 

As the school year draws to a close, it is with great pleasure 

to announce that Ms. Melissa Benner is the 2023 Montverde 

Academy Middle School Teacher of the Year! Ms. Benner's 

passion for teaching mathematics has made a lasting impact 

on her students as she finishes her third academic year at 

Montverde Academy. Ms. Benner's approach to teaching goes 

beyond simply imparting knowledge. She is committed to 

creating an inclusive and supportive classroom environment 

that fosters learning and personal growth. 

One of Ms. Benner's greatest strengths is her ability to 

connect with her students. She makes a conscious effort to 

get to know each of her students individually, understanding 

their strengths, personalities, and learning styles. Her door is 

always open to help former, current, or future students alike. 

“Ms. Benner is a teacher that cares about the successes of 

her students throughout their educational journey, even after 

their time in the Middle School has ended. She cares about 

the MVA community and is always looking for ways to make 

an appearance to show support,” said Coach Caitlin Griffis, 

Head Softball Coach and Middle School PE teacher. 

Ms. Benner is also a master of making math fun and 

engaging. She uses a variety of teaching strategies, including 

games and real-world scenarios, to make math relevant and 

interesting to her students. This year, students were excited 

to test out their “Barbie Zipline,” dispelling the myth that 

learning about geometry and trigonometry is dry. Students are 

challenged to uncover math and apply the concepts learned in 

their everyday world. 

but she has also achieved her own as she pursued an 

advanced degree from the American College of Education 

in Curriculum and Instruction in 2022. 

Ms. Benner also teaches the Leadership elective, where 

she coaches students on how to foster their own effective 

leadership style in the Middle School. Through discussions, 

videos, and hands-on planning, students shape their own 

leadership initiatives to drive change in the community. 

Her dedication to her students' goals has provided them with 

valuable leadership and teamwork experience. “The number 

one word that comes to mind when I think of Ms. Benner 

is ‘support.’ She is always ready to support her students, 

colleagues, and administrators with positivity, practicality, and 

humor. She is solutions-oriented, and if she doesn't know how 

to help someone or how to fix a problem, she will persist in 

finding a solution,” said Emilie Fracker, Associate Dean of the 

Middle School. 

Ms. Benner's passion for teaching and commitment to her 

students have not gone unnoticed. “Ms. Benner brings the 

best energy and attitude to the Middle School. Her passion is 

contagious and inspires others to move out of their comfort 

zones in the best interests of the kids,” said Mrs. Sara Parets, 

sixth grade English teacher. Her dedication, passion, and 

commitment to teaching have earned her the well-deserved 

title of Middle School Teacher of the Year. 

Congratulations, Ms. Benner! 

Ms. Benner believes that every student has the potential to 

excel in math and strives to provide them with the tools and 

support necessary to achieve their goals. Not only has she 

encouraged her students to reach their personal goals, 


UPPER SCHOOL 

Ms. 

Marca 

Hoyle 

By Kristy Khadka, Class of ’25 

Mr. David Bernatavitz, Ms. Marca Hoyle, and Mr. Jon Hopman 

Ms. Marca Hoyle is one of MVA’s highly qualified social 

studies teachers. Though this is only her second year 

at the Academy, Ms. Hoyle has already made quite the 

impact on the MVA community and has fully committed to 

enriching the school through her well-crafted courses and 

participation! Ms. Hoyle is a qualified Advanced Placement 

teacher, taking on AP Human Geography and excelling at 

helping her students through this rigorous course. 

Eros Sanchez, Class of ’25, who took Ms. Hoyle's class 

said, “She always made learning very comprehensive 

and fun. She is an extremely kind and helpful resource 

and always made me feel challenged and accounted for. 

Through the use of different case studies, she allowed me 

to have extensive preparation for my AP exam, leading me 

to feel very confident in my score.” Ms. Hoyle has helped 

several students achieve high scores on their exams and 

has fostered a strong educational environment. In addition 

to her AP class, Ms. Hoyle has also created several 

additional electives that showcase her passion for history 

and current events, such as medieval studies, philosophy, 

global politics, and Model UN, the latter being so popular 

that she now also teaches Model UN II Honors! These 

diverse courses offer fun and challenging new ideas to 

students and are super enjoyable! 

Quinn Fitzpatrick, Class of ’24, described Ms. Hoyle as 

“one of the most effective teachers I’ve had. Having taken 

both her AP Human Geography class and global politics 

elective, I can definitely say that she has nurtured my 

interest in the political world and its issues. Ms. Hoyle 

fosters a professional and fun classroom environment as 

well as Model UN experience. I am so incredibly grateful 

to have her as my teacher and club advisor.” Ms. Hoyle is 

Montverde Academy Cross Country Invitational 

also a teacher advisor for the Model UN club, and with her 

time and support, the club has grown tremendously. 

Ms. Hoyle puts in a great deal of effort to help the Model 

UN club, such as chaperoning at conferences and 

helping at Night for the Cure! Lyder Reksten, Class of ’26, 

excitedly said, “Ms. Hoyle never fails to make you feel 

prepared, excited, and supported. She is one of the best 

teachers I have ever had, and although my time in AP 

Human Geography is over, I am thrilled for the next few 

years in Model UN. Ms. Hoyle is more than deserving of 

this award, and I am ecstatic for her!” 

Ms. Hoyle is more than just an excellent teacher and 

passionate club sponsor; she also has an amazing and 

unique personality that draws students to her and makes 

them feel safe and comfortable. Dimitri Tentomas, Class 

of ’25, mentioned, “In addition to [Ms. Hoyle’s] amazing 

teaching, I will always appreciate her sense of humor and 

how she is able to make me smile every day in class,” and 

Sophomore Class President Zoha Bajwa shared these 

sentiments, saying, “Personally, I have been in two of 

[Ms. Hoyle’s] classes and highly recommend them to any 

student who wants to take a class that is both challenging 

and intensely fascinating. Balancing this rigorousness, 

she is a very cheery and light-hearted person and never 

fails to make her students laugh.” It’s clear from these 

student testimonials that Ms. Hoyle is a fabulous educator 

and amazing person, and Carington Helms, Class of ’26, 

perfectly sums it up, saying, “Ms. Hoyle is a phenomenal 

teacher and mentor. She sets the bar high for her students 

and guides them through the process.... She was a 

wonderful teacher and so deserving of this award.” 

Thanks to all her hard work and dedication, Ms. Hoyle 

definitely earned this award, and it’s exciting to see what 

more she’ll accomplish in the future! 


Biomedical 

STEM SAC 


Upper School students at Montverde Academy have the unique opportunity to select a 

Study Area Concentration (SAC) course of study that is in alignment with their interest 

area. Choosing a particular track early can help make the student’s college application 

more competitive by demonstrating the student’s high level of commitment to a 

particular area, something that is highly valued by college admissions officers. 

The Biomedical track is one of several offerings in the 

STEM SAC and is quite popular, boasting a total of 

30 students in the program, the largest group in the 

STEM SAC. “It grows every year,” said Mrs. Sarah 

Schlussel, the advisor for the biomedical track. She 

directs students in this track to take AP Biology, anatomy 

& physiology, kinesiology, biochemistry, along with a 

variety of math classes. Dr. Ramirez, whose background 

is in biochemistry, teaches the biochemistry courses 

that are required for the STEM SAC, as well as Polymer 

Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and Honors Chemistry. 

In addition to taking these classes, the biomedical 

students meet together monthly in a small group with 

Mrs. Schlussel. In this small-group setting, students 

have the opportunity to listen to guest speakers, watch 

surgery videos, and engage in a variety of hands-on 

activities to keep them informed and current on the latest 

developments in the field, including interpreting EKG’s 

and learning how to take blood pressure. In the spring of 

2019, students even received Stop the Bleed training to 

learn what to do in the event of an individual having a 

severed artery. 

This past spring, Dr. Akshay Naraine ʼ13, an MVA alum 

who now holds a Ph.D. in neurophysiology, spoke to 

the biomedical group and discussed his research. “In 

his lecture, Akshay reflected fondly on his time in the 

biomedical program, which helped him to narrow his focus 

when he got to college,” said Ms. Nyoshie Higgins, MVA’s 

Alumni Relations Coordinator. “The in-depth exposure to 

subject areas that are usually reserved for college-level 

students and the knowledge he gained helped him to build 

a strong academic foundation, which greatly enhanced 


his college applications. As a result, he was accepted 

into Florida Atlantic University’s pre-med program with 

a guaranteed spot in their medical school. Although 

life took him in a different direction, as he now holds a 

Ph.D. in integrative neuroscience instead of an M.D., 

his experience at MVA played a crucial gateway into the 

biomedical sciences.” 

Students in this STEM SAC are also able to explore 

biomedicine beyond the walls of MVA. Mrs. Schlussel has 

taken students to urology and pathology conferences, 

and she has even arranged for students to shadow local 

physicians. Last year Mr. David Bernatavitz, the Assistant 

Head of School, connected the biomedical students with a 

plastic surgeon who invited the students to spend the day 

with him. All the juniors and seniors in the program were 

able to go. “[The surgeon] wanted to mentor them and 

encourage them,” said Mrs. Schlussel, “so he talked with 

them about what he was doing and what was going on. 

It was a really cool opportunity for them to spend the day 

with the surgeon. We do a lot of different things to help 

encourage them in their interest in biomedicine.” 

Zackary Spangler ʼ23, said, “I feel this program has been 

extremely beneficial as it provides an environment for 

students to bond over a shared interest while expanding 

upon that interest and developing it through exclusive 

experiences, such as medical shadowing, clinical tours, 

and guest speeches from those in the field. 

The experience of creating an original APEX project, 

a personal research study, was also a large benefit 

of the program.” 

Victoria Vivaldi ʼ23, said, “The Biomedical STEM SAC 

Program has elevated my high school experience 

and immensely prepared me for collegiate research. 

Throughout this program, I discovered my passion for 

equine-related research and medical sciences. Mrs. 

Schlussel was a fabulous mentor that provided endless 

guidance and support. From guest speakers to creating 

my own research project, I couldn’t imagine a better way 

to end my senior year.” 

Srishti Tandon ʼ23, said, “The Biomedical STEM SAC 

allowed me not only to elevate my knowledge and 

understanding of a potential career field but it gave me 

opportunities I wouldn’t be able to explore had 

I not been in the SAC program. For example, 

I was able to observe an in-person hand 

surgery, directly in the operating room, and 

shadow an acclaimed plastic surgeon! 

The program also allowed my peers and 

me to experience many aspects of a 

vast career field to weed out what we 

do and don’t want to pursue as we 

further our education.” 

Students conclude the program with 

their own research project known as 

APEX. “The APEX project is required of 

each graduating senior in the program,” 

said Mrs. Schlussel. “In their junior year, 

they begin working with their faculty advisor 

to start brainstorming ideas and doing some 

preliminary research. Their project can be an independent 

experimental inquiry, a meta-analysis of several studies, 

or building of a prototype or model. During their senior 

year, they complete their projects, collect their data, or 

build their models. In the third quarter of their senior year, 

they write up a formal research paper of what they did and 

discovered through their project, and then they present 

their projects to the entire STEM group around March 

each year. It is kind of like a science fair project, but a little 

more specialized and in depth. We want it to be closer to 

what they will experience in college if they are involved in 

scientific research.” 

THE TOWER | SUMMER 2022 33

By the 2023 NFC Leadership Team: Srishti Tandon, Lenny Polcaro, Sophie Ressler, and Mrs. Kristine Walsworth 

Cancer is a disease that affects countless individuals across the globe – a disease 

that can strike anyone, regardless of age, gender, or race. That’s why the student 

directors of Night for the Cure are proud to host an event that brings all three divisions 

of Montverde Academy together to raise funds for cancer research and care within 

our community. 

Through merchandise sales, donations, and event 

participation, we generate significant donations for 

our three beneficiaries: UF Shands Cancer Research 

Center, The Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation, and 

Cornerstone Hospice. Hosting this annual event provides 

an opportunity for everyone to unite and contribute to a 

cause that affects us all. 

As an event, Night for the Cure is a combination of an 

early evening carnival and later evening community 

connection. With the help of 25 teams and clubs from 

across all three divisions, the evening was one to 

remember! From hamburgers and hotdogs to basketball 

hoops to duck ponds, donuts, and lemonade, Night for the 

Cure opened with food, fun, and fellowship for all. 

In addition to our carnival-like part of the event, Night 

for the Cure strives to recognize and celebrate survivors 

of cancer. Members of the MVA Community who are 

cancer survivors, along with their families, are invited to 

attend the event as guests of honor. We welcome them 

to the Heroes Tent to enjoy a quiet space with a catered 

dinner sponsored by Outback Steakhouse of Clermont. 

The presence of our heroes and their families serves as 

a reminder of the fight against cancer. It is our honor to 

serve those who have battled the disease and won, and to 

inspire hope and courage to those who are still fighting. 

After faces have been painted, prizes have been won, 

and the sun has gone down, we highlight the community 

connection with a guest speaker. This year we were 


Trinity Clarke 

Molly Smith 

Class of 2020 

2023 

blessed to have one of our own, Molly Smith, MVA Class 

of 2020, return to share her story with us. In January 

2023, at just 21 years old, Molly was diagnosed with 

ovarian cancer. Based on her experience with surgery and 

chemo, Molly wrote and shared “10 Lessons Cancer Has 

Taught Me.” Through her moving address, she reminded 

us to be grateful for our support systems and to be 

thoroughly present in our own lives. As an award-winning 

filmmaker, storyteller, and student at Yale University, Molly 

is currently working on a documentary of her journey. We 

can only imagine its impact as we got an incredible look 

into what will surely be an impactful film. 

As Trinity Clarke’s voice rang out with Rihanna’s “Lift Me 

Up,” we silently walked the track, thinking of all those 

touched by cancer. To be in such a place at such a time, 

we couldn’t be more grateful for our MVA Community and 

NFC 2023, Lighting the Way to a Night to Remember! 


By Mr. Michael Damon, Sports Information Manager 

GIRLS SOCCER 

The Montverde Academy girls soccer team took on 

all comers and reached the summit by season’s end, 

collecting the state’s top prize in winning the 2023 FHSAA 

Class 3A state championship. 

The Eagles finished the year with a 15-2-2 overall 

record, which included a pair of victories in winning the 

FHSAA district tournament and three wins in the regional 

tournament to qualify for the state championship. 

The Eagles were led throughout the season by Antonella 

Mazziotto with a team-high 16 goals to go, along with five 

assists. Meanwhile, Estefania Gonzalez netted 14 goals 

and offered six assists. She scored three goals in the state 

championship game to put the exclamation point on what 

was a stellar year. Grace Sodermark led the Eagles with 

nine assists, while goalkeeper Genesis Perez Watson 

logged over 1,300 minutes in net and made 49 saves 

while posting 10 shutouts. 

Perez Watson and teammate Elsa Steadman were 

rewarded for their great seasons by being selected to 

compete in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association 

(FACA) Girls Soccer All-Star Classic after the season. 

BOYS BASKETBALL 

MVA boys basketball had another great season, 

finishing 23-3 overall and winning the 2022-23 National 

Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC). 

Once again, the Eagles competed against a nationally 

renowned schedule as they took on the best the United 

States had to offer en route to qualifying for another 

GEICO High School Nationals postseason tournament, 

earning the No. 1 seed in the process. 

Statistically, the Eagles were led by Liam McNeeley with 

12.4 points per game, while Derik Queen averaged 11.7 

points and led the team in rebounds, averaging 6.6 per 

game. Cooper Flagg averaged 9.8 points per game and 

led the Eagles in steals per game with 1.6 and blocks per 

game with 2.2. 

Girls Soccer wins 2023 FHSAA State Championship 


Five players earned NIBC postseason awards, including 

McNeeley (First Team All-NIBC), Queen (Second Team 

All-NIBC), Flagg (Second Team All-NIBC & All-NIBC 

Defensive Team), Kwame Evans (Third Team All-NIBC), 

and Sean Stewart (NIBC Sixth Man Award). Additionally, 

McNeeley and Flagg were named MaxPreps 

Honorable Mentions. 

GIRLS WEIGHTLIFTING 

The girls weightlifting team had a solid season, which 

saw six of its team members qualify for the regional meet, 

including Skye Arcia, Ava Babington, Nyomi Drayton, 

Hannah Herbert, Olivia McLean, and Gabby Palanti. 

During the season, the Eagles competed against highly 

touted teams from around the state and earned two wins 

in the Olympic discipline and one in Traditional 

during dual meets. The Eagles also finished as high as 

second place in the multi-team meets. Herbert had an 

impressive turnout in the regional, finishing third in the 

Olympic discipline. 

BOYS WEIGHTLIFTING 

The boys weightlifting team competed in seven matches 

during the 2023 season, including the Florida High School 

Athletics Association (FHSAA) Regional meet. 

Five team members, including Alejandro Caballero, Titus 

DeClercq, Jack Gherghel, Jameson Troy, and Javier 

Sarriera qualified for the regional meet. 

goals and had a team-high 30 assists. Zander Brasher led 

the Eagles with 83 groundballs while taking a majority of 

faceoffs this season. Andrew Chehansky logged over 600 

minutes in net and made 112 saves on the season. 

BOYS TENNIS 

The Montverde Academy boys tennis team had a 

great deal of success this past season, and the Eagles 

competed against highly skilled tennis players throughout 

the United States. 

Amongst the competitions that MVA boys tennis players 

competed in include the Battle of Boca, Universal Tennis 

Ranking, and Premier Tennis Tour. 

Dylan Breen had a great season, which included going 

undefeated in team competition events. Additionally, 

Joaquim Domingues, Adam Townsend, and Pedro 

Mendonca earned first place at various meets throughout 

the season. 

GIRLS TENNIS 

The Montverde Academy girls tennis team competed 

against tough competition all season long during the 

2023 spring season. 

Willa Polen and Erica Hagi stood out during the season. 

Polen earned first place at Lake Cane, while Hagi was 

undefeated during team competitions all season long. 

During the regular season, the Eagles won one dual meet 

and finished first overall in one multi-team meet. Each 

team member set new personal bests throughout 

the season. 

BOYS LACROSSE 

The boys lacrosse team finished the 2023 season with a 

9-7 overall record, and the Eagles earned a bid into the 

FHSAA Class 1A Region 2 tournament. 

The team was led in scoring by Coen Woodland with 57 

goals, while fellow teammate Seth Isenhour netted 41 

Nicole Sanchez 

Alexander Mounsey 

Coen Woodland 

THE TOWER | SUMMER 2022 37

GIRLS BEACH VOLLEYBALL 

The girls beach volleyball team finished the 2023 season 

with a 10-8 overall record and qualified for the regional 

tournament for the second year in a row. The Eagles took 

on highly skilled teams from throughout the region and 

state and picked up at least one win in 16 of the 

18 matches. 

The duo of Thalita Marangon and Gracie McClain 

competed together all season long and had the best 

record on the team, combining to go 16-2 at pair 

No. 1. 

MVA was ranked No. 26 in the state of Florida before 

entering the district tournament at the No. 1 seed. 

BOYS TRACK & FIELD 

The boys track & field team had another fantastic 

season in 2023, taking gold in the 2023 Citrus 

League Championship, as well as the FHSAA District 

Championship and Regional Championship. The Eagles 

then fought valiantly to a fourth-place finish out of 56 

teams at the state championship meet. 

The Eagles had individual winners in each team meet 

during the season, including the state championship meet 

itself, when Alex Georgiev took home gold in the pole 

vault, winning by more than two feet over the event’s 

second-place finisher. 

Teammates Issam Asinga (100 meters, 200 meters), 

Jayvian Greene (100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters), 

Kyle Johnson (long jump, triple jump), and Riley Novack 

(1600 meters, 3200 meters) also earned wins during the 

course of the regular season. 

Additionally, several team members, including Asinga, 

also competed in national meets and earned wins in the 

process. He set a new record for the fastest 100 meters 

by a high school student in history (9.83 seconds). He 

also set a new national high school record for the fastest 

200 meters (19.97 seconds). 

Thalita Marangon 

During indoor season, Asinga earned the national 

championship and set a new national indoor record in 

the 60 meters (6.59 seconds) and 200 meters (20.48 

seconds). Meanwhile, Johnson was the national indoor 

champion in the triple jump (14.74 meters). 

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD 

The girls track & field team had another superb season, 

which included wins in the FHSAA District and Regional 

championships before a hard fought sixth-place finish 

of 57 teams at the state championship. 

Several team members earned individual wins 

throughout the season, including Ellise Dickinson (100 

meters, 200 meters, 400 meters), D’Asia Duncan 

(100 meter hurdles, 400 meter hurdles), 

Boys & Girls Track & Field 


Adaejah Hodge (100 meters), and Michelle Smith 

(800 meters, 100 meter hurdles). Hodge and Smith also 

competed against highly talented athletes on the national 

scale and earning wins, both at the Texas Tech Corky/ 

Crofoot Shootout. Hodge won the 200 meters (22.31 

seconds) and Smith in the 400 meter hurdles (56.55 

seconds). Additionally, Hodge was a national individual 

indoor champion, winning the 200 meters in a new junior 

world record (22.33 seconds). 

BASEBALL 

Back in the FHSAA for the first time in several years, 

the Montverde Academy baseball team dominated its 

opponents and went 25-4 on the season, including 

winning the FHSAA Class 3A District championship, 

before advancing to the regional championship game. 

The Eagles took on the best the state and the nation 

had to offer in several ultra-competitive tournaments and 

challenging regular season games. 

MVA had a team batting average of .346 and was led 

by Manny Retana who batted .524. Meanwhile, Logan 

Chapman batted .416 and led the team with 29 runs 

batted in and 10 doubles. 

Pitching wise, Logan Bevis went 7-0 and had an earned 

run average of 0.80. He pitched a team-high 52 2/3 

innings and struck out a team-high 75 batters. 

SOFTBALL 

The MVA softball team went 23-7 on the season and won 

their FHSAA district and regional championships to earn a 

spot in the state championship semifinal round. 

The regional championship was the first for the Eagles 

since the 2018 season. The 2023 season also marks 

the first time that MVA softball won its annual Montverde 

Academy Invitational Softball Tournament (MAIST). 

Logan Bevis 

The Eagles were led by Ari Jimenez with a .589 batting 

average, which set a school record for highest batting 

average by a Montverde Academy softball player in one 

season. Jimenez also set a new MVA record for stolen 

bases in a season with 38. Meanwhile, Luna Taboas 

batted .549 and led the team with 40 runs. Danika 

Spinogatti batted .442 on the season with a team-high 

four triples and team co-highs of eight doubles and four 

home runs. 

In the pitching circle, Nevaeh Williams logged the majority 

of the innings, tossing a team-high 100 2/3 en route to 

finishing with a 13-2 record, a 1.18 earned run average, 

and 101 strikeouts. 

Luna Taboas 


COLLEGE 

SIGNING DAY 

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

on November 9, 2022; February 22, 2023; and April 26, 2023! Student-athletes earned a full or partial 

scholarship totaling over 1 million dollars! 

Issam Asinga 

Texas A&M 

Track & Field 

Micayah Holland 

University of Texas - Austin 

Track & Field 

Kyle Johnson 

The University of Connecticut 

Track & Field 

Zyaire Nuriddin 

University of Tennessee 

Track & Field 

Chih Yu “Aaron” Lin 


Golf 

Adam Gregg 

Lenoir Rhyne University 

Golf 

Eugene Kang 

Hofstra University 

Soccer 

Elsa Stedman 

East Carolina University 

Soccer 

Zach Nolan-Murphy 

Jacksonville State University 

Tennis 

Dylan Breen 

Siena College 

Tennis 

Erica Hagi 

Bellarmine University 

Tennis 

Pape Mar Boye 

Clemson University 

Soccer 


Thalita Marangon 

University of Chicago 

Indoor Volleyball 

Oscar Hernandez Gonzalez 

Nova Southeastern University 

Baseball 

Jack Garvey 

College of Central Florida 

Baseball 

Micah Larry 

University of Georgia 

Track & Field 

Victor Jose Martinez 

College of Central Florida 

Baseball 

Tainá de Lima Nunes 

New Mexico Junior College 

Indoor Volleyball 

Luisa Ayub Caldeira Rios 

University of North Carolina 

Swimming 

Stephen Annor Gyamfi 

University of Virginia 

Soccer 

Ciara Grimes 

Bryn Mawr College 

Soccer 

Aiyana Leslie 

Daytona State College 

Soccer 

Vanessa Manoil 

Stetson University 

Soccer 

Alfred Baafi 

University of Kentucky 

Soccer 

Mohamed Larabi Cisset 

Penn State University 

Soccer 

Charles Logan Chapman 

Georgia Tech 

Baseball 

Mouhamed Pouye 


Soccer 

James Goodis 

Indiana University 

Basketball 


Maria “Duda” Silva Mendes 

St. Thomas University 

Soccer 

Riley Novack 

University of Florida 

Track & Field 

Malang Zakaria Mandiang 


Soccer 

Seydou Diop 

Xavier University 

Soccer 

Logan Cozier 

Colorado State University 

Soccer 

Sebastián Ortiz 

Regis College 

Soccer 

Nicholas Kourakis 

Carnegie Mellon University 

Soccer 

Mariella Malabad 

Florida Atlantic University 

Equestrian 

Kady Bills-McCoy 

Long Island University 

Gymnastics 

Mason Shale 

Lindenwood University 

Soccer 

Martin Hurtado 

Mount St. Mary's University 

Golf 

Santiago Bonequi 

Mount St. Mary's University 

Golf 

Yamato Kimura 


Golf 


By Mr. Michael Damon, Sports Information Manager 

The Montverde Academy girls basketball team, for the 

second year in a row, was the best high school basketball 

team in the country as the Eagles once again won the 

GEICO High School Nationals championship. And while 

last season’s team was impressive as it was, the 2022-23 

season proved to be even more impressive. 

Playing against arguably the toughest schedule in the 

nation, which included six tournaments in four different 

states and three games against teams ranked in the 

nation’s top-25, the Eagles ran the gauntlet, winning all 

but one game the entire season. 

The Eagles also proved their resiliency on the day they 

needed it the most. In the championship game of the 

GEICO High School Nationals, MVA fell behind early and 

the Eagles were down 34-20 by halftime. However, MVA 

outscored its opponent, Long Island Lutheran, 40-20 in the 

second half, including by a 19-6 difference in the fourth 

quarter, to complete the comeback, securing the second 

championship in a row. 

Statistically, the Eagles were led by Mjracle Sheppard 

with 11.1 points, 3.4 assists, and 4.5 steals. Meanwhile, 

Sahnya Jah averaged 10.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 

assists per game, while Lety Vasconcelos had a teamhigh 

6.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. 

The abundance of success led the Eagles to honorable 

post-season recognition. A record six members of the 

team, including Sheppard, Jah, Vasconcelos, Cori 

Allen, Rusne Augustinaite, and Jordy Griggs, were 

named McDonald’s All-American nominees. Additionally, 

Sheppard was named a MaxPreps Honorable Mention 

and Vasconcelos competed in the first ever women’s Nike 

Hoop Summit, representing the World team. Head Coach 

Special Jennings served as an assistant coach for Team 

USA’s inaugural girls roster. 


MONTVERDE ACADEMY 

2023-24 MUSIC SEASON 

MUSIC 

of the 

NIGHT 

Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber 

Arts Alliance Exclusive 

SALON CONCERT 

OCTOBER 2023 DECEMBER 2023 

JANUARY 2024 

MUSIC CONCERT 

CHORAL CABARET 

FEBRUARY 2024 APRIL 2024 

APRIL 2024


2023-24 THEATRE SEASON 

THE 

LAST 

SUPPER 

by Larissa Fasthorse 

OCTOBER 6-8, 2023 

NOVEMBER14-16, 2023 NOVEMBER 29, 2023 


Festival 

based on Shakespeare’s 

The Tempest 

featuring playwright 

Joey Banks 

FEBRUARY 9-11, 2024 

MARCH 25-27, 2024 

MAY 2-4, 2024

Behind the Scenes 

By Mr. Dean Bell, Director of Arts 

Cast of “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” 


Cast of “Willy Wonka” 

Cast of “American Top 40 Pop” Music Cabaret 

The author Roy T. Bennet in his book The Light in the Heart writes, “Change may 

not always bring growth, but there is no growth without change.” That phrase has 

been living constantly in my thought process over the course of this year as we begin 

making some major changes, both from a curricular standpoint as well as a physical 

infrastructural standpoint in the Fine Arts department. As Mr. Bennett alludes, these 

changes are necessitated by our growth but at the same time are designed to bring 

about greater growth to our program. 

We are blessed to have two wonderful buildings, both 

which proudly bear the name of long-time first lady of 

Montverde Academy, Sandra O. Stephens, devoted 

to the Arts here at MVA. In the last couple of years, 

those buildings have utilized every nook and cranny to 

accomplish the mission of the Fine Arts department. 

The opening of the Innovation Center this fall and the 

ability to rearrange some spaces is going to bring not 

only more and improved space to these buildings, but 

also provide a key step in the change/growth process. 

Specifically, graphic arts, film and television, and digital 

photography will be finding a new home in the Innovation 

Center in a collaborative suite, which will allow those 

programs not only the ability and space to collaborate, but 

also to grow and explore new areas which were heretofore 

limited by their space issues. Look for tremendous growth 

in these disciplines over the next few years. 

In the Fine Arts building, the space vacated by graphic 

arts is allowing us to create a new theatre classroom/ 

rehearsal suite, which will house both Middle School (MS) 

and Upper School (US) theatre classes, but designed with 

a common folding wall, which will allow the entire space 

to be opened up into a larger rehearsal room to assist 

with preparation for our many and varied rehearsals. This 

change allows the current theatre classroom/black box to 

be dedicated to dance, which we will speak more of later. 


Dylan Bova 

MVA Eagle Orchestra 

In the Performing Arts building, the film and television 

studio will be remodeled and transformed into an audio 

recording studio. This project, which has been a longterm 

project undertaken by our Arts Alliance, will provide 

state-of-the-art recording space for our students to utilize 

from a performance standpoint as well as learn the 

technical aspects of audio recording. This space will also 

retain video recording capabilities, allowing our programs 

to expand and have access to audition and film acting 

training. Also, there will be a transformation of our existing 

media arts lab into a music production lab to support our 

new and burgeoning music technology class as well as 

a home for music composition class. This space will be 

outfitted with MIDI workstations and software to allow 

students the opportunity and access to professional level 

composition and creation. The two combined spaces 

make possible a studio set-up designed to facilitate music 

students and theatre techs desiring to look at futures in 

music and audio production. 

Many of you have been witness to the upgrades and 

changes made to Arts Alliance Alley, and there are more 

to come. That multi-use outdoor area between the two 

Arts buildings is being shaped into a space not only for 

entertaining, but also for small outdoor performances. 

Next year we have actually planned that space as a 

performance venue for one of the choral concerts. Again, 

these changes and upgrades have been facilitated by 

the support of our Arts Alliance. There are also plans in 

place to expand the current ceramics classroom space 

and connect it to the other visual arts classroom, and to 

repurpose the old dark room area for use by our artists. 

In a “build it and they will come” sense, we feel these 

changes will not only enhance our offerings, but also 

allow us to continue to expand and grow both in numbers 

and in content. None of that, of course, happens without 

the additional faculty to facilitate the growth, and we are 

excited about these changes as well. Specifically, next 

year we will be elevating our adjunct voice teacher, Ms. 

Daniela Monzon Villegas to a full time vocal instructor 

status. Ms. Villegas will also now be working with both 

the music and theatre programs. We will be elevating 

our adjunct dance instructor/choreographer to a full-time 

position. Ms. Jessica Birt, who is already a classically 

trained dancer and an Applause Award winning 

choreographer, will be filling that role. Again, she will be 

working with both music and theatre as well as Middle 

School theatre. She will also be offering elective dance 

classes for both the Middle and Upper School students. 

One of the natural outgrowths and long range plans of 

the Fine Arts department was to offer dance as a major 

at MVA. Simultaneously with these other changes, in the 

fall of 2023, Montverde Academy will begin its Dance 

Conservatory. Designed as a companion to the existing 

Conservatory majors, dance students will do intensive 

study in ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance as well as 

classes in dance history, kinesiology and Anatomy for 

Dance, Choreography and Dance Creation, among others. 

Having been recognized with two Applause Awards 

for outstanding dancers this year, we know we will see 

amazing results from bringing this program into our overall 

Arts offerings. 


Laven Parker 

Cast of “The Winter's Tale” 

In the spring of 2018, when I was hired as the Director of 

Arts, I set five-year goals for the Conservatories. Amongst 

those were adding dance as a major and achieving an 

enrollment of 50 students. I am happy to say we will 

accomplish both of those items right on schedule. Believe 

me when I tell you the strategic plan continues well past 

these initiatives – there are some exciting things in our 

future. In our case, change has definitely brought us 

growth, and the growth will continue to bring us change. 

As the head of one of the top Arts education programs 

in the state and beyond, I assure you we have created a 

vibrant and thriving place for our students to explore their 

passion in the Arts. Our graduates continue to leave here 

to attend the top institutions in the country and excel in 

their chosen Art(s). Thank you, as always, for your support 

of our programs and students. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2023 

Applause Award Winners 

Lily Downs Outstanding Leading Performer 9 to 5 

Sydney Barker Outstanding Singer 9 to 5 

Arianna Parrilla Outstanding Singer December Songs 

Eros Sanchez Outstanding Dancer December Songs 

Isabella Jones Outstanding Dancer December Songs 

Mrs. Jessica Birt Outstanding Choreographer December Songs 

Mr. Dean Bell Outstanding Music Director December Songs 


The Nephew/Son's Revenge 

Willy Wonka 


The first Montverde Academy theatre production I ever 

saw was the musical “9 to 5,” which set an incredibly high 

standard for other productions the rest of the year. I soon 

learned that excellence is the norm for MVA Fine Arts. If 

you had the privilege to see the Middle School theatre’s 

productions in particular, “The Nephew/Son’s Revenge” 

and “Willy Wonka,” you may be wondering what gives 

Middle School theatre its unique magic." 

“The Nephew/Son’s Revenge,” a melodrama written and 

directed by the Middle School Theatre Director, Mr. Adrian 

Wright-Ahern, paid attention to the tiniest details and 

demonstrated that Middle School theatre is no exception 

to MVA’s rule of excellence. The clever, witty program that 

I held in my hand was more than simply a cast list – it 

was a character itself. And, in the spirit of the melodrama, 

audience members were encouraged to purchase popcorn 

to throw at the play’s villains. Students flawlessly delivered 

their linguistically complex lines, revealing to me that they 

were trusted and that they had been afforded the time 

and resources to make the play the tour de force that it 

was, further showcasing the brilliance that I would grow to 

expect from future Middle School productions. 

But where did the magic come from? I wouldn’t find out 

that answer until I was a backstage volunteer for “Willy 

Wonka,” The Middle School’s spring musical production. 

Success with a musical that has a wildly popular book/ 

movie counterpart is never a guarantee and can come 

with a high risk. If you don’t make it unique in some 

way, you run the risk of boring your audience. But if you 

change it too much, you run the risk of disappointing 

audience members who are there to relive the wonder 

and magic of the original. “Where can we put our own little 

creative touches to it?” Mr. Ahern asked himself. “During 

rehearsals, the students came up with great ideas. Even 

though the script was ‘Willy Wonka,’ which we know and 

love, we definitely had those little bits and moments that 

shined through and that were unique to our students, 

their talent, and their creative process.” Students were 

challenged and trusted with their creative ideas. Keye 

Magnuson, a rising seventh grader who hilariously took all 

the spit takes in “The Nephew/Son’s Revenge” and played 

Mike TV in “Willy Wonka,” said, “I like that our teacher and 

choreographers listen to our ideas and include them. If 

they’re good, Mr. Ahern gives us a lot of time to work on 

our [ideas] during class.” 

Being backstage, I wasn’t able to see the production 

in its entirety, but gauging from the uproarious laughter 

and applause I could hear, I could tell it was quite a hit. 

What impressed me most was everything that went on 

behind the scenes. I expected that the students would 

need prompts and cues from an adult to know when it 

was their turn to enter the stage. Instead, they ran like a 

programmed clock, benefiting from the muscle memory 

achieved by good guidance and repetition. What also 

impressed me was the camaraderie among the students. 

These students weren’t just acting in a play together – 


they had each other’s backs and supported each other 

with their lines, choreography, and staging. They were a 

team. Braelin Berry, a rising ninth grader who played the 

part of Gertrude in “The Nephew/Son’s Revenge” and the 

reporter in “Willy Wonka,” said, “I love being in the 

Middle school theatre program, but what I love most is 

the community. Everyone is so accepting, and I feel like I 

can always be myself around everyone in Middle School 

theatre. It feels like a family to me, and I have made so 

many friends throughout the three years I’ve been in 

this program.” 

How were they able to achieve that high level of 

independence or foster those friendships that seemed to 

be built on trust, mutual respect, and a natural desire to 

help each other? 

Before the time that MVA had a Conservatory, Mr. Ahern 

was the director of the Middle and Upper School theatre 

programs. The Middle School theatre program in particular 

started out as an enrichment that met during the school 

day a couple of times a week. That time allotment, though, 

fell short of what was needed to be able to put on a 

good production, so Mr. Ahern invited the students from 

the theatre enrichment to audition for the Upper School 

plays to give them something more. “[In that process], 

I stumbled upon a wonderful, wonderful thing,” said Mr. 

Ahern. “The Upper Schoolers suddenly stepped up to 

the plate and led by example, and the Middle Schoolers 

wanted to impress their older peers.” What Mr. Ahern 

discovered was the huge benefit of allowing students 

across the divisions to intermingle. The Upper School 

students even had to step up their game because of the 

added competition from the middle schoolers for parts in 

various plays. 

“Once the Theatre Conservatory was created, which is 

a wonderful thing, it changed the dynamics for Upper 

School shows, which became Conservatory shows,” said 

Mr. Ahern. Middle School theatre went from being an 

enrichment that meets a couple of times a week to an 

elective that meets every day. What was once considered 

school-wide productions are now classified as Middle 

School productions; however, Upper School students, 

whether they are in the Conservatory or not, and Lower 

School students are still able to participate in 

those productions. 

Mr. Ahern sees many benefits to the Middle School having 

this dynamic. Not only is there an intermingling among the 

divisions, but there is also an eclectic group of students 

who might not have the opportunity to interact with each 

other otherwise because of the wide variety of interests 

represented. They have been able to bring in students 

from SIMA, the basketball team, etc. to participate in 

various scenes, creating a special camaraderie between 

the theatre students and school athletes. Students once 

asked to have a shorter rehearsal so they could go watch 

the athletes play at a game, the same athletes they had 

worked together with in a particular play. “Another time 

we had basketball and soccer athletes clamoring to get 

in to see the shows because they worked together, they 

became friends, and they wanted to support each other,” 

said Mr. Ahern. 

The Middle School theatre also has faculty cameos, 

which give students and teachers the opportunity to 

work together. “The parents in the audience like it, but 

the students absolutely love being able to work with 

their teachers in a different way,” said Mr. Ahern. “Even 

though the teachers are still an authority figure, it’s like the 

teachers are in their house. I absolutely love that, and it’s 

something that’s unique to this program.” 

Beckett Lee, a rising eighth grader who played Truman 

in “The Nephew/Son’s Revenge” and Charlie Bucket 

in “Willy Wonka,” said, “When I came to MVA, I was 

hesitant to start the year off with a class that requires a 

lot of expression and emotion. Being myself comes fairly 

naturally to me, but having to do such a thing in front of 

dozens of people -- and with no sense of how they'd react 

-- was terrifying. But after this year, and after being part 

of two plays, I've come to love theatre class and all of 

the friends I've made in it. I've grown so much and I'm so 

grateful that I've had so many people willing to 

support me.” 

AJ Jackson, a rising eighth grader who played Ernest 

in “The Nephew/Son’s Revenge,” said, “The thing I like 

about the drama program is that you are able to express 

yourself, and it helps you ease your mind from school.” 

Lukas Walker, a rising eighth grader who played Adam 

Lackey in “The Nephew/Son’s Revenge” and Augustus 

Gloop in “Willy Wonka,” said, “The Middle School theatre 

program is great because it can give you a chance to 

show your true theatrical personality, and if you don’t have 

a personality like that, you can learn from others. Plus, it’s 

really easy to make friends with others.” 

The Middle School theatre creates an environment where 

someone is always there to give the cues and lend a 

hand, a hand that doesn’t simply act as a guide but also 

trusts the individual enough to allow them to think and 

contribute creatively. For an outside observer like me, 

that complex sense of community and trust looks like an 

effortless, well-oiled machine that’s simply doing its job. 


By Ms. Nyoshie Higgins, Alumni Relations Coordinator 

What an exciting year we had in the Alumni Office 

at Montverde Academy. We are so happy we were 

able to accomplish so much in 2022-2023 and we 

wanted to share some photos of all the alumni that 

passed through campus. We want to encourage all 

of our alumni to visit MVA. This year we welcomed 

several alumni speakers who taught classes, spoke 

at assembly, and even addressed our graduation 

seniors at commencement. Students were so happy to 

hear from former students who had been in the same 

position as themselves. Hearing alumni success stories 

and tips on overcoming life’s challenges had some of 

the greatest impact on our students. 

We have started our mentorship program and have 

had great success thus far, and we want to encourage 

our alumni to become a mentor to current students or 

alumni. Scan the QR code to sign up! 

Alumni on Campus 

The Class of 2023 welcomed Hans Hanley ʼ14 

as their speaker at Montverde Academy’s 110th 

Commencement. Hans is a graduate of Princeton and 

Oxford respectively, a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford 

University, and was recently awarded a Meta Ph.D. 

Fellowship in Computational Social Science. His 

commencement speech reflected his successes, 

but he placed his challenges in making his career 

choice at the forefront of his message. 

One of the most passionate moments in his address 

stressed the importance of being open to change and 

overcoming the fear of failure. “Don’t get stuck being 

Hans Hanley ʼ14 

afraid to fail… sometimes it may seem like a bad thing 

to change your mind, but you should change your mind, 

you should adjust and make different decisions as you 

grow.” He also told the grads not to allow the burden 

of perceived external expectations make them fearful 

of taking a risk. In most cases parents and family just 

want you to succeed no matter what career decision 

they made. Ultimately, he encouraged the Class of 

2023 to choose their passion, as it will be the main 

driver for their life's work. We are so grateful to have 

such an inspiring young man with a very bright future 

ahead share with our graduates. He is a proud Eagle, 

and we cannot wait to see everything he accomplishes 

going forward. 

Matt Parks ʼ19 graduated with a bachelorʼs degree 

in communications with a concentration in film from 

Berry College. Matt is an incredible young man who 

started MVA in Middle School and whose mother taught 

English. Earlier this year, Matt reached out to the 

alumni office because he felt it was important for alumni 

to come back to campus and share their experiences 

with current students. We welcomed Matt in May and 

had him teach a few classes and inspire our young 

thespians about life in the theatre and in film. He also 

spoke at the Middle School assembly. He shared about 

individuality and the importance of finding your passion 


Matt Parks ʼ19 and Mr. Jon Hopman Dr. Akshay Naraine ʼ13 and Mrs. Sarah Sclussel Christian Gazzia '05 

and a supportive community of friends that can help you 

grow into the person you want to become. 

Matt was a delight and is off to California to work at a 

reality television studio. We know one day we will see his 

name in lights! 

Dr. Akshay Naraine ʼ13 started Montverde Academy in 

Middle School after his family moved from Canada. He 

fondly remembers his days in the Conrad Lehman building 

before Lindor Hall was build. He has great memories of 

his days on campus and attributes a lot of the success 

he has achieved today to the great foundation at MVA. 

Akshay was voted Most Likely to Become Head of School, 

but his educational path led him to a Ph.D. in integrative 

neuroscience from Florida Atlantic University. He is 

headed to Sweden to complete a postdoc in Parkinson's 

disease, but he thought it was important before he left to 

come back on campus to share about his journey to Ph.D. 

In April, he returned to campus and served as a guest 

speaker in Mrs. Sclussel's anatomy classes for the day. To 

say he was inspiring is an understatement. He delighted 

our students with an array of topics in neuroscience and 

spoke about his nontraditional road to his current career. 

He went on to speak to the Middle School and left them 

thinking about the little things they are required to do 

every day that leads to success in the workplace. The 

day was a great success for teachers and students alike 

and as Akshay lectured we could all truly see why he was 

voted to be Head of School! 

Christian Gazzia ʼ05 kicked off our year as our first 

speaker for the Educational Technology Innovation Center 

Speaker Series. She spoke about her job in IT, working 

for a company that creates innovative websites and has 

major Fortune 500 companies as clients. She spoke about 

the role technology plays in her career and shared about 

her job and her life at MVA. 

Alumni Events 

We had a great turnout at MAIT homecoming weekend 

and added a few events to our calendar, including Alumni 

Lake Day and our Christmas Happy Hour, which we are 

sure will happen again. The alumni office, along with the 

board, want to extend an invitation for all alumni to return. 

We welcome you to schedule a tour, volunteer at the 

many events that we have on campus, or even become 

a mentor/speaker to our current students. The doors are 

wide open to welcome you back 

THE TOWER | SUMMER 2023 53 

Musical Theatre alumni at the Legacy Concert

NOTABLE ALUMNI 

By Ms. Nyoshie Higgins, Alumni Relations Coordinator 

Molly Smith ‘20 

2020 MVA Alumna and Yale 

rising sophomore Molly Smith 

was diagnosed with a rare form 

of ovarian cancer in the early part 

of 2023. Molly is well known in 

the MVA community as a talented 

filmmaker. She has used her social 

media platform to document her 

cancer journey with others. Her 

followers find her vulnerability 

and transparency refreshing 

and inspiring. 

Molly published a beautifully written article for Yaleʼs Newsletter where she wrote a raw and heartfelt piece 

on her initial feelings after receiving her diagnosis. This year, Molly was invited to be the keynote speaker at 

MVA's annual Night for the Cure fundraiser. Below is the emotional and touching speech she gave to 

those who attended. 

One. In the media, cancer is a useful plot device 

for killing off a character or starting the hero’s journey. 

Female cancer patient characters are sympathy tearjerkers 

or the catalyst for the journey of a man. I did 

not know the logistics of cancer or the reality because I 

learned from media that cancer is life ending but Cancer 

is also a growth, a representation of an evolutionary 

mishap, or perhaps, the birth of something we don’t yet 

understand. When I received a call from my doctor on 

January 16 telling me my benign cyst is actually 

a rare ovarian germ cell tumor, cancer taught me 

I was unprepared. 

Two. Allow myself to take my time. Allow myself the 

time to cry all day if I want. Allow myself a day of not 

leaving my room. Accept the knocks on the door. Accept 

the bags of snacks left outside. Accept the notes, accept 

the gifts, and accept the flowers. Accept the pain. But 

then, let it go. Cancer taught me it’s okay to feel. 

Three. My life before was work, film, school, repeat. 

My greatest longing was pure, unadulterated success 

- indefinite and insatiable. Then suddenly, none of that 

mattered. What matters is what brings me joy. I traded 

cramming in more work with saying yes to lunch with 

old friends. And somehow, even with cancer, my life got 

better. Cancer taught me that my greatest longing is to 

love and be loved. 


Four. Cancer is a full-time job. There is a team. 

I signed up for oncological massages, group and 

individual therapy, and a nutritionist. I got my first wig 

from the cancer hospital for free the day after I lost 

my hair. I joined reiki and meditation calls, used every 

resource at my university, and started writing letters 

back and forth with other cancer fighters. My mailbox is 

a constant source of joy. When going into battle, why not 

arm yourself with everything you can? Cancer taught me 

that with the right resources, you can overcome anything. 

Five. Sometimes you take autonomy over your own 

body, and sometimes it takes autonomy over you. Cancer 

is a constant negotiation with your biology. Cancer took 

flesh but gave me peace. There is nothing you can take 

from me that I cannot reason with. Cancer bartered with 

poisons of strange names — etoposide or carboplatin 

— but I traded for the warmth of the Florida sun, the 

endorphin release of great music and dance, and every 

late-night therapy session. Those are the moments I live 

for and somehow cancer gave me even more of them to 

appreciate. Cancer taught me that every day is 

a blessing. 

Nine. When someone experiences trauma our first 

thought is that if it were us, we would not be as strong. 

But this is not true. We are adaptable. Cancer taught me 

that everyone is stronger than they think. 

Ten. This was supposed to happen to me. My whole 

life I loved storytelling because it creates empathy and 

connection. I’ve practiced telling personal stories in 

documentary films for years, and now it’s time for me to 

tell my own. Cancer is not the end. It’s the beginning of 

another story in my life. 

̶ Molly Smith 

We in the alumni community stand with you in your 

recovery, and we are inspired by your strength and 

resilience as you recover. 

Six. My roommate cut off my last bits of hair in my 

dorm room. We died my hair pink for its last days, but 

it clumped into a jumbled mess of falling hair as we 

washed it out. I was afraid to look in the mirror. I am still 

a 21-year-old girl, and I loved my hair. But the memory 

of dying my hair with pink box dye with my best friends, 

dancing in our dorm bathroom, was the best murder of 

my favorite physical trait. Its death was pink and lovely 

and joyous and mine. Cancer taught me not to be 

a victim. 

Seven. The first time I looked in the mirror and saw 

myself — round, bare, alien, but beautiful — it was a 

fascination, like looking into another timeline of you. I 

tried pink hair, red hair and bangs; and suddenly my 

bald head was not the absence of something but a blank 

canvas. Cancer taught me I am beautiful in any form. 

Eight. In the time since my diagnosis, I’ve had two 

surgeries, three rounds of chemo, and a lot of therapy. 

But I’ve also made films, written stories, continued 

learning, traveled, spent valuable time with friends and 

family, and continued my passions. My life is just as full 

now as it was before and will continue to be. I will not let 

cancer take from me my youth, and this time it listened. 

Cancer taught me that no matter what I’m facing, I can 

still live my life. 

Molly Receiving Chemotherapy 


CELEBRATING 10 YEARS 

MIKEY NEFF (1) 

Senior Superlative “Most artistic” 

After graduating from MVA, Mikey 

stayed true to her class superlative 

and used her creativity to launch a 

successful career in photography. She 

moved to New York City where she has 

lived for the past nine years with her 

wife, Amanda, and her Pitbull, “Pig.” 

She has spent the last seven years as 

a freelance photographer working with 

companies like Spotify, Buzzfeed, and 

Disney+. She has also been featured in 

Vogue, Nylon, and Domino magazines. 

She has since started her own family 

photography business that focuses on 

intimate, honest, documentary-style 

work. She credits so much of her love 

of photography to having access to 

Montverde Academy’s darkroom, plus 

the best photography teacher she’s 

ever had, Mrs. O’Donnell. 

MYRON FLEMING (2) 

Senior Superlative “Class clown" 

Upon graduating from Montverde 

Academy, he enlisted in the Army 

where he served as a SOCOM Tactical 

Communications Specialist until March 

of 2023. Myron feels being a boarder 

really helped him to prepare for life in 

the military. “I think MVA gave me a very 

diverse perspective having interacted 

with so many international students 

compared to where I was from in 

Ocala, Florida,” Myron said. “The Army 

introduces you to soldiers from various 

places, as well as stations, and deploys 

you to environments where engagement 

with the locals requires a certain cultural 

understanding. Working and training 

partners with other militaries was 

easier because of MVA broadening my 

multicultural experience and worldview.” 

The military took him all over the world, 

and while working at the United States 

Embassy in Honduras, he met and 

married his wife Ylaska in 2017. He 

left the Army and accepted a job as 

a Department of Defense contractor 

in North Carolina. Myron said that 

although he was in the military, which 

carries a level of seriousness and strict 

behavior, he was still the same Myron 

that people know from MVA. “The Army 

can be a depressing environment, but 

it’s always been easy for me to stay 

entertained and be entertained. When 

I was stationed in Korea, my group put 

an ‘8 a.m. rule’ on me, meaning I wasn’t 

allowed to talk before 7 a.m. so people 

could be ‘morning grumpy’ in peace.” 

QUINTONIO LEMA (3) 

Quintonio was featured in “The Tower” 

almost 10 years ago when he was 

interviewed by the “The Royal Gazette 

Online,” a newspaper based out of 

Bermuda. The article featured his 

experience at Montverde Academy 

and how soccer opened the door to his 

life abroad. This young man exhibited 

signs of a bright future, and 10 years 

later, he has achieved much of what 

he set out to do after graduating from 

MVA. “Looking back, MVA is a major 

part of my story that has helped me to 

be where I am today. My teammates 

and the connection we made and still 

have is something I will never forget.” 

Quin received a Bachelor of Science 

Degree in business from the University 

of North Carolina at Greensboro. He 

has worked in the reinsurance industry 

as a Property Treaty Underwriter for 

Brit Global Services in Bermuda since 

2021. He reflected that MVA was his first 

experience living abroad. “There were 

many challenges that I am happy I faced 

while I was at MVA because once I got 

to university, I was already comfortable 

being away from home (Bermuda). Also, 

MVA provided me the opportunity to 

develop as a soccer player and earn a 


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scholarship to university.” 

He confidently stated that playing for 

MVA was when he enjoyed soccer 

the most throughout his career. 

“Our motto, ‘La Familia,’ really meant 

something to us, and we enjoyed 

working hard and going to battle for 

each other every day,” he said. 

“I have made great progress 

throughout my six years in the 

reinsurance industry here in 

Bermuda. In parting, enjoy your time 

at the Academy, take advantage of 

being in such a diverse environment, 

and try to connect with as many 

people as you can. MVA is a special 

place, and it has been proven that the 

students go on to do special things.” 

GABRIELA BARBER (4) 

Gabriela graduated from Montverde 

Academy and went to Princeton 

University to study psychology and 

neuroscience. She continued her 

studies at the University of Maryland 

where she received her master’s 

degree in Couple and Family Therapy 

in 2019. She recently completed her 

Ph.D. in Maternal and Child Health. 

Throughout the last four years, she 

has worked as a therapist in a private 

practice in Bethesda, Maryland. In 

2013, we also featured Dr. Barber 

in “The Tower” spotlight on seniors 

series. Back then, she was heavily 

involved in the theatre, and Mr. Adrian 

Ahern-Wright wrote of her strong work 

ethic and her extensive involvement 

in the theatre. She attended MVA 

for 10 years (grades 3-12). “My time 

at Montverde Academy was filled 

with many wonderful memories,” 

Gabriela said. “I remember going to 

MAIT every year and hanging out 

in the Student Center during study 

hall and eating warm chocolate chip 

cookies with friends. I learned a lot 

from my time at MVA, which really 

helped set me up for success when I 

went off to Princeton and beyond. the 

Academy taught me that balance was 

important. Academics and education 

are important, but it is also important 

to have other interests and to devote 

time and energy to those.” 

CORINNE MISSI (5) 

Also known as “Miss Missi,” 

Corinne is a graduate of Spring 

Hill College with a degree in 

actuarial mathematics and business 

administration. In 2017, she won 

the crown of Miss Africa USA 

2017-18 with the social project of 

empowering young girls in STEM 

(Science, Technology, Engineering 

and Mathematics) education. For 

three years, she has been the 

founder and promoter of SACAY, a 

group of two companies: a textile 

garment manufacturing and a wood 

carpentry/joinery whose mission is to 

contribute to the industrialization of 

the African continent for sustainable 

development, financial independence, 

and a considerable increase in 

employment. “In my practice, I work 

with individuals experiencing anxiety 

and major life transitions, and I work 

with a lot of couples as they embark 

on the transition to parenthood,” 

said Corinne. “Throughout my Ph.D., 

my research has focused on the 

intersection between mental health 

and reproductive health and decision 

making, and I have published several 

articles on this topic. Now that I’m 

done with my Ph.D., I look forward 

to continuing to work with clients and 

to collaborating on research projects 

that will help to inform my 

clinical practice. 


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ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 

2023 GRADS 

2017 

SAM VICTOR (1) 

graduated with his Master 

of Science in cybersecurity 

management and policy 

with Summa Cum Laude 

distinction (4.0). 

ISOBEL HAYNES (2) 

graduated with Honors from 

Penn State with a master’s 

in homeland security 

with a concentration in 

counterterrorism. 

2019 

KAYLAH SCOTT (3) 

graduated with her B.A. in the 

psychology honors program 

and earned a certification 

in undergraduate research 

and applied mental health. 

She will continue to Florida 

Atlantic University for her 

master's in experimental 

psychology. 

MATT PARKS (4) 

graduated from Barry 

University with a Bachelor of 

Arts in communications with 

a concentration in film. He will 

be heading to Beverly Hills 

this summer to complete an 

internship at Elysium 

Media Group. 

LOVE-STAR ALEXIS (5) 

graduated from Middle 

Tennessee State University 

with a bachelor's in social 

work with a minor in 

psychology. She will pursue 

a Master of Science in sports 

management at West Virginia 

University. Later this summer, 

she will be representing 

Haiti in the Central American 

Caribbean Games. 

AUBREY WILLIAMS (6) 

graduated from Florida State 

University with dual degrees 

in music therapy (B.M.) and 

communication science and 

disorders. 

A’JAH DAVIS (7) 

had a record-breaking career 

at NIU that included being 

named NIU Female Athlete 

of the Year, while earning 

her bachelors degree in 

kinesiology. She will be 

continuing on to Seton Hall 

where she will pursue a 

master’s in higher education. 

VANESSA MILLS (8) 

graduated with a Bachelor 

of Fine Arts from Carnegie 

Mellon University. She plans 

to return to Florida to work 

at the William Daniel Mills 

Theatre. 

SAMANVITHA NOMULA (9) 

graduated from the University 

of Florida with a Bachelor of 

Science in psychology with 

an emphasis in behavioral 

cognitive neuroscience and a 

minor in health disparities in 

society. Following graduation, 

her plan is to apply to 

medical school. 

YANNI ZHANG (10) 

graduated with a bachelor's 

degree in English and human 

organizational development 

with a minor in business. 

Later this year, she will be 

moving to L.A. to begin her 

career at Pricewaterhouse. 

WHITNEY ELLIS (11) 

graduated with a Bachelor 

of Science in electrical 

engineering, with Magna 

Cum Laude distinction, 

from Florida Institute of 

Technology. 

SAMANTHA LAFFERTY 

graduated from Sacred Heart 

University with a master's in 

social work. 

YUXAN DANIEL SONG 

is pursuing a degree in 

computer science and 

business and a minor in 

environmental science. 

He will attend Columbia 

University to complete a 

master's in business. 


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

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

2012 

Congratulations to 

LUIS YORDI SANCHEZ (1) 

who married Jenny Sanchez 

on December 3, 2022. They 

currently reside in Boston, 

Massachusetts. 

2013 


KALIN GRAVES (2) 

and husband Ethan who 

welcomed Gray Emiline 

Graves on April 27. 

2014 


CASEY LALLA (3) who 

was recently engaged to 

Denesh Avinash Persaud 

and will be married at the 

end of this year. 

2018 


ELLE' (NEWTON) BAILEY 

(4) who married Tim Bailey 

on May 21 of this year. 

2020 

Congratulations to up-andcoming 

entrepreneur 

PEDRO WEBER (5) who 

founded a startup called 

The Block Point in Brazil. 

The company was created 

to help businesses discover 

and implement new 

technology. He attended 

Auburn where he majored 

in business administration, 

but due to the success of his 

company, he relocated back 

to Brazil. 

2021-23 


SYDNEY BARKER (TC '23), 

ASHTON APPADU (TC '22), 

and LOGAN LOPEZ 

(TC '21), who each helped 

bring to life “The Hunchback 

of Notre Dame” as members 

of the Choir on May 20-21 

in Steinmetz Hall with the 

William Daniel Mills 

Theatre Company! 

We invite all MVA alumni to join us for an exciting weekend 

to honor the legacy of those who have been a part of the 

success of the Academy. We will be hosting a full day of 

complimentary alumni events on Friday, followed by the 

Legacy Ball on Saturday evening. 

ALUMNI EVENTS 

Friday, September 22, 2023 

9 - 11 a.m. – Alumni tours of campus 

11 a.m. - 1 p.m. – Alumni luncheon 

1 - 3 p.m. – Alumni tours of campus 

7 - 9 p.m. – Alumni Social at Rosen Shingle Creek Saturday, 

September 23, 2023 

6 - 11 p.m. – Legacy Ball (purchase your tickets today!) 


Montverde Academy 

17235 Seventh Street 

Montverde, FL 34756 

19 TH ANNUAL CELEBRATING EDUCATION 

Join us for a spectacular evening of dinner, dancing, 

entertainment, and incredible silent and live auctions 

at the beautiful Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 

at six o’clock in the evening 

Rosen Shingle Creek 

9939 Universal Boulevard 

Orlando, Florida 32819 

Attire is Black Tie optional.

The Tower Summer 2023

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