# Montverde Academy

Montverde Academy is a private, college preparatory school in Montverde, Florida, United States, located in the Greater Orlando area. The school is widely known for its athletic programs, particularly soccer and basketball.

## History

The school was founded in 1912 as Montgomery Industrial School. The school president was Henry P. Carpenter. It underwent a major expansion in 1921, when two new buildings were built for a cost of almost $40,000, including a concrete block dormitory for 200 boys and a new dining hall. The expansion was funded by donations, including $11,000 from R. Jay Arnold of Groveland, Florida. This expansion brought the organization to a total of eight buildings on 200 acres and $150,000 worth of equipment. An observation tower above the new dormitory provided a view of Lake Apopka, Winter Garden, and Groveland. The dining facilities served 400 children. In the 1920s, sports teams were established. The teams were nicknamed The Crackers. In 1930, a girls' dormitory was constructed with funds raised by the D.A.R.

## Demographics

There were 1,188 K-12 students enrolled in 2015–2016 as the information is not compiled for Pre-K students. The breakdown was:
* Native American/Alaskan – 1.4%
* Asian/Pacific islanders – 4.0%
* Black – 7.7%
* Hispanic – 9.3%
* White – 44.8%
* Multiracial – 32.8%

## Athletic programs

Montverde's athletic programs compete on a national level, rather than as a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association. Sports offered include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, lacrosse, powerlifting, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. In 2017, USA Today named Montverde Academy the best basketball program of the decade.

## Theatre and Music Conservatory

Montverde Academy has both music, and theatre conservatories. Auditions are held on an annual basis. Conservatory students split the academic day between core courses, and their chosen artistic discipline.

## Controversies

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Kasey Kesselring, Montverde's Headmaster until his retirement in 2022, violated the Horse Protection Act, which resulted in a temporary disqualification from participating in equine events and a fine of $2,500.
In May 2017, Essence and Fox 35 Orlando reported on a 16-year-old Black female student who was dress-coded for her dreadlocks which the administrator claimed were against school policy. Following the media coverage, the current headmaster Kasey Kesselring affirmed that the student handbook would be altered to remove the "dread lock" policy and that the rule was no longer in place.
In May 2019, several Florida news stations published a story accusing Montverde Academy Dean of Students, Jerry Matos, of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female upper school student. It remains unclear if she was a minor. Matos stepped down from his position immediately. The terms of his departure and current legal status are unknown. The academy promoted an existing employee to fulfill Matos's responsibilities.

## Notable alumni

| Name | Year | Profession | Notability |
| Precious Achiuwa | 2019 | Basketball Player | Forward for the New York Knicks, played college basketball at Memphis |
| Solomon Alabi | 2007 | Basketball Player | Former Toronto Raptors center, played college basketball at Florida State |
| Alexander Anyaegbunam | 2012 | Rapper | Known by his stage name Rejjie Snow |
| Issam Asinga | 2023 | Track & Field Athlete | Surinamese sprinter who is the fastest person under 20 years old to run the 100m dash |
| Scottie Barnes | 2020 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Toronto Raptors, played college basketball at Florida State |
| RJ Barrett | 2018 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Toronto Raptors, played college basketball at Duke |
| James Bell | 2010 | Basketball Player | Forward who played professionally in Japan, played college basketball at Villanova |
| Justin Bibbs | 2014 | Basketball Player | Guard who played professionally in New Zealand, Poland, and the NBA G League |
| Leaky Black | 2018 (Transferred) | Basketball Player | Forward for the Charlotte Hornets, played college basketball at North Carolina |
| Sabrina Botrán | 2018 | Soccer Player | Goalkeeper who plays for Comunicaciones F.C. and competes nationally for Guatemala |
| Ousmane Sylla | 2020 | Soccer Player | Midfielder who plays for Houston Dynamo FC. Winner of the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy. Member of the Clemson Tigers men's soccer 2023 national championship team |
| Jody Brown | 2020 | Soccer Player | Forward for the Florida State Seminoles and competes nationally for Jamaica |
| Marcus Capers | 2008 | Basketball Player | Guard who played professionally in Canada, Finland, Japan, and England, played college basketball at Washington State |
| Jordan Caroline | 2014 | Basketball Player | Forward who plays professionally in Spain, played college basketball at Southern Illinois and Nevada |
| Marcus Carr | 2017 | Basketball Player | Guard in the Israel Basketball Premier League, played college basketball for Texas |
| Omar Ciss | 2020 | Soccer Player | Midfielder for the Charlotte Independence |
| Jermaine Couisnard | 2019 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Oregon Ducks |
| Cade Cunningham | 2020 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Detroit Pistons, played college basketball at Oklahoma State |
| Silvio De Sousa | 2017 (Transferred) | Basketball Player | Center who plays for Aris B.C., played college basketball at Kansas and Chattanooga |
| Michael Devoe | 2018 | Basketball Player | Guard who most recently played for the Ontario Clippers, played college basketball at Georgia Tech |
| Noah Dickerson | 2015 | Basketball Player | Forward for Starwings Basel, played college basketball at Washington |
| Albert Dikwa | 2017 | Soccer Player | Forward for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC |
| Abdoulaye Diop | 2017 | Soccer Player | Midfielder for Detroit City FC |
| Ates Diouf | 2017 | Soccer Player | Winger for Lexington SC |
| Grayson Dupont | 2016 | Soccer Player | Midfielder for Birmingham Legion FC, played college soccer at New Mexico and UAB |
| Jalen Duren | 2021 | Basketball Player | Center for the Detroit Pistons, played college basketball at Memphis |
| Joel Embiid | 2013 (Transferred) | Basketball Player | Center for the Philadelphia 76ers, played college basketball at Kansas |
| Monday Etim | 2017 | Soccer Player | Forward for FC Helsingør |
| Kwame Evans Jr. | 2023 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Oregon Ducks |
| Mamadou Fall | 2021 | Soccer Player | Centre-Back for FC Barcelona Atlètic on a loan |
| Bruno Fernando | 2017 | Basketball Player | Center for the Atlanta Hawks, played college basketball at Maryland |
| Cooper Flagg | 2024 | Basketball Player | Top basketball prospect, committed to play for the Duke Blue Devils |
| Michael Frazier II | 2012 | Basketball Player | Former Houston Rockets guard, played college basketball at Florida |
| Akeyla Furbert | 2012 | Soccer Player | Midfielder who played college soccer at USC Aiken, competes nationally for Bermuda |
| Patricio Garino | 2012 | Basketball Player | Former Orlando Magic forward, played college basketball at George Washington |
| Emmanuel Hagan | 2020 | Soccer Player | College soccer player for the UNC Greensboro Spartans |
| Kasey Hill | 2013 | Basketball Player | Professional basketball player who played professionally in Hungary, Cyprus, Poland, and Germany |
| DaRon Holmes | 2021 (Transferred) | Basketball Player | Forward for the Dayton Flyers |
| Jalen Hood-Schifino | 2022 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Utah Jazz, played college basketball at Indiana |
| Caleb Houstan | 2021 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Orlando Magic, played college basketball at Michigan |
| Idong Ibok | 2005 | Basketball Player | Center who played in Slovenia, Sweden, and the NBA G League, played college basketball at Michigan State |
| C. J. Jackson | 2015 | Basketball Player | Guard for Jämtland Basket, played college basketball at Eastern Florida State and Ohio State |
| Justin Jackson | 2010 (Transferred) | Basketball Player | Center for CS Dinamo București, played college basketball at Cincinnati |
| Dakari Johnson | 2013 | Basketball Player | Former Center for the Oklahoma City Thunder, played college basketball at Kentucky |
| Sydney Johnson-Scharpf | 2018 | Gymnast | Professional gymnast, competed collegiately for Florida |
| Jay Tee Kamara | 2021 | Soccer Player | Midfielder for Ljungskile SK |
| Balša Koprivica | 2019 | Basketball Player | Center for KK Partizan, played college basketball at Florida State |
| Christ Koumadje | 2015 | Basketball Player | Center for Alba Berlin, played college basketball at Florida State |
| Francisco Lindor | 2011 | Baseball Player | Shortstop for the New York Mets, 4x MLB All-Star |
| Langston Love | 2021 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Baylor Bears |
| Bruno Lapa | 2016 | Soccer Player | Midfielder for Memphis 901 FC, played college soccer for Wake Forest |
| Justin Malou | 2017 | Soccer Player | Defender for FC Tulsa, played college soccer at Clemson |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | 2017 | Basketball Player | Center for the San Antonio Spurs, played college basketball at Seton Hall |
| Pierre Mané | 2017 | Soccer Player | Midfielder for Lexington SC, played college soccer at Pittsburgh and VCU |
| Philip Mayaka | 2019 | Soccer Player | Midfielder for Crown Legacy FC, played college soccer Clemson |
| Luc Mbah a Moute | 2005 | Basketball Player | Forward who played 12 years in the NBA, played college basketball at UCLA |
| Liam McNeeley | 2024 | Basketball Player | College basketball player for the UConn Huskies |
| Benji Michel | 2016 | Soccer Player | Winger for F.C. Arouca, played college soccer at Portland |
| Dillon Mitchell | 2022 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Texas Longhorns |
| E. J. Montgomery | 2018 (Transferred) | Basketball Player | Forward for Aomori Wat's, played college basketball at Kentucky |
| Moses Moody | 2020 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Golden State Warriors, played college basketball at Arkansas |
| Doral Moore | 2015 | Basketball Player | Center who played professionally in England, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Mexico, and the NBA G League |
| Faris Moumbagna | 2018 | Soccer Player | Forward for FK Bodø/Glimt |
| Franck Ndongo | 2006 | Basketball Player | Former forward for the Cameroon national team, and played college basketball at Augusta State |
| Andrew Nembhard | 2018 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Indiana Pacers, played college basketball at Florida and Gonzaga |
| Ryan Nembhard | 2021 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Gonzaga Bulldogs |
| Michee Ngalina | 2018 | Soccer Player | Forward for Göztepe S.K. |
| Landry Nnoko | 2012 | Basketball Player | Center for BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque, played college basketball at Clemson |
| Kouat Noi | 2017 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Sydney Kings, played college basketball at TCU |
| Haukur Pálsson | 2010 | Basketball Player | Forward for Alftanes, played college basketball at Maryland |
| Ruslan Pateev | 2009 | Basketball Player | Center who played professionally in Russia and Poland, played college basketball at Arizona State |
| Anthony Perez | 2012 | Basketball Player | Forward who plays professionally in Venezuela, played college basketball at Ole Miss |
| Filip Petrušev | 2018 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Sacramento Kings, played college basketball at Gonzaga |
| Micah Potter | 2016 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Utah Jazz, played college basketball at Ohio State and Wisconsin |
| Justin Powell | 2020 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Cleveland Charge, played college basketball at Auburn, Tennessee, and Washington State |
| Derik Queen | 2024 | Basketball Player | Center for the Maryland Terrapins |
| Matija Radović | 2017 | Basketball Player | Guard for KK Slodes, played college basketball at Hofstra and American International |
| Malik Reneau | 2022 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Indiana Hoosiers |
| Wilfredo Rivera | 2020 | Soccer Player | Forward for Orlando City SC, competes nationally for Puerto Rico |
| Sherrexcia Rolle | 2006 | Airlines Executive | President, CEO & Accountable Manager of Western Air |
| D'Angelo Russell | 2014 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, played college basketball at Ohio State |
| Moussa Sane | 2017 | Soccer Player | Forward for AS Douanes |
| Day'Ron Sharpe | 2020 | Basketball Player | Center for the Brooklyn Nets, played college basketball at North Carolina |
| Andre Shinyashiki | 2015 | Soccer Player | Forward for Neftçi PFK, played college soccer at Denver |
| Simisola Shittu | 2018 (Transferred) | Basketball Player | Forward for Limoges CSP, played college basketball at Vanderbilt |
| Matheus Silva | 2015 | Soccer Player | Defender who played professionally in the MLS and in Brazil |
| Ben Simmons | 2015 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Brooklyn Nets, played college basketball at LSU |
| Sean Stewart | 2023 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Duke Blue Devils |
| MaCio Teague | 2016 | Basketball Player | Guard for Czarni Słupsk, played college basketball at UNC Asheville and Baylor |
| Mohamed Traore | 2020 | Soccer Player | Defender for Los Angeles FC |
| Arminas Urbutis | 2005 | Basketball Player | Forward who plays professionally in Spain, played college basketball at Hofstra |
| Chase Vosvick | 2017 | Soccer Player | Goalkeeper for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, played college soccer at Loyola |
| Marco Warren | 2011 | Soccer Player | Midfielder who played for the PHC Zebras and competed nationally for Bermuda, played college soccer at Flagler |
| Howard Washington | 2017 | Basketball Player | Guard for the Buffalo eXtreme, played college basketball at Syracuse |
| Dariq Whitehead | 2022 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Brooklyn Nets, played college basketball at Duke |
| Devin Williams | 2013 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Taiwan Beer Leopards, played college basketball at West Virginia |
| L. D. Williams | 2006 | Basketball Player/Coach | Coach for the Long Island Nets, played professionally in the Philippines, France, Finland, Slovenia, and for the NBA G League |
| Jules Youmeni | 2017 | Soccer Player | Defender who played most recently for CD Calahorra B |
| Pavel Zakharov | 2019 | Basketball Player | Center for PBC CSKA Moscow, played college basketball at Gonzaga and California Baptist |
| Zhang Zhenlin | 2018 | Basketball Player | Forward for the Liaoning Flying Leopards, played college basketball at Tulane |