The day a student-athlete officially signs a National Letter of Intent, declaring his/her intent to attend and play a sport for an academic institution where he/she has earned a scholarship, is a milestone second only to graduation for many high school students. For 23 student-athletes at Montverde Academy, all of the hard work, commitment, hours invested in practice and games they have dedicated to pursuing their sport, has led to the achievement of earning a scholarship to continue playing the sport they love at the college or university level.
Each student was announced to cheers from the audience of their peers as they entered the Center for Health and Wellness, also known as the “Nest” at MVA, accompanied by their family, friends and coach. Once all 23 student-athletes were announced and seated, they collectively signed their letters to applause and flashes as the moment was captured in photographs and videos.
“We are so proud of our student-athletes’ accomplishments both academically and athletically,” said Dr. Kasey C. Kesselring, Headmaster, Montverde Academy. “They embody the ideals of Knowledge, Character and Community that are part of our culture at the Academy. What they have learned here provides a solid foundation of skills to help them further pursue their dreams in their secondary education and beyond. We congratulate them and their families and wish them continued success.”
The student-athletes’ names, sport and the college/university they signed to are:
Genesis Aviles, girls’ softball – Lake Sumter Community College
Manhua “Wendy” Chen, girls’ golf – University of Washington
Anna Chen, girls’ golf – University of Illinois at Urbana
Simone Armando Colozza, boys’ golf – San Diego State
A’Jah Davis, girls’ basketball – Northern Illinois University
Whitney Ellis, girls’ softball – Florida Institute of Technology
Jake Holland, boys’ baseball – Georgia Technical University
Petr Hryby, boys’ golf – University of Washington
Ying Ting Hsieh, girls’ golf – University of Kansas
Gibson Jimerson, boys’ basketball – St. Louis University
Balsa Koprivica, boys’ varsity basketball – Florida State University
Xavier Marcoux, boys’ golf – Rutgers University
Carmen Marin, girls’ soccer – Florida International University
Samantha Pacheco, girls’ basketball – Webber International University
Dongjin Park, boys’ golf – University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Ramani Parker, girls’ basketball – University of Louisville
Samuel “Omar” Payne, boys’ varsity basketball – University of Florida
Brittany Shirley, girls’ softball – Lake Sumter State College
Daniel Song, boys’ golf – Lehigh University
Anika Veintemilla, girls’ golf – Baylor University
Susan Xiao, girls’ golf – University of Pennsylvania
Cindy Zhou, girls’ golf – The College of William and Mary
