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SIMA Alumni are on the Rise

By Staff, 09/06/18, 5:30PM EDT

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Since its inception in 2013, the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA) has had a tremendous impact in the game at all levels by establishing a reputation for producing elite-level student-athletes who are prepared to play at the highest level.

In keeping with tradition, the 2018 graduating Senior Class of SIMA participants witnessed 34 student athletes who signed National Letters of Intent to attend colleges and universities throughout the United States on athletic scholarships.  The commitments ranged throughout all collegiate levels including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, II and III; National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NCJAA).

Out of the 2018 Montverde Academy and SIMA graduating class, there were five stand-out student athletes who exemplified great passion for the game and a consistent desire to perform in all aspects of their lives at MVA throughout their careers:

Rodrigo de Almeida is a native of Recife, Brazil who attended Montverde Academy for three years, participated in the SIMA Program and the Orlando City Development Academy at the U19 level. He is now playing for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Talla Faye is a native of Dakar, Senegal who attended Montverde Academy for four years and participated in the SIMA Program and the Orlando City Development Academy at the U19 level. He is now playing for Florida International University in Conference USA.

Gabriel Gjergji is a native of Vizenza, Italy who attended Montverde Academy for one year as a post graduate student and is now the starting goalkeeper as a freshman for Butler University (ACC).

Jackson Walti is a native of Vevey, Switzerland who attended Montverde Academy for four years and participated in the SIMA Program throughout his entire career.  He was a Montverde Academy Senior Prefect, graduated with an overall grade point average of 4.28 and is now playing at the University of Pittsburgh (ACC).

Rafael Souza is a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil who attended Montverde Academy for two years and is now starting in the center of midfield as a freshman for Palm Beach Atlantic (ACC).

According to Mike Potempa, Head Coach and Academy Director, the biggest accomplishment that the graduating SIMA Senior Class has achieved is much more than simply results on the field, but rather the overall effort and achievements in the classroom and in the school community.

"What I am most proud of with our group of SIMA student athletes is that while we continue to win championships and accomplish great things on the field, we have been able to consistently maintain an overall grade point average of 3.26 as a program overall of more than 200 student-athletes," said Potempa. "This is very important to me because it's not just about what goes on between the lines of the field, it's about learning and growing in all aspects of life through the game we all love."

Under Potempa's direction, the Montverde Academy Boys Soccer Program has produced more than 250 student-athletes who have graduated from MVA and gone on to earn athletic and academic scholarships to colleges and universities across the country. Since 2013, there has also been 29 student-athletes to sign first team professional contracts to play in Europe, South America, Major League Soccer (MLS), and United Soccer League (USL) after completing their educational requirements at Montverde Academy.

To view a comprehensive list of 2018 MVA and SIMA graduates who signed National Letters of Intent to play soccer at the collegiate level, please click here.

About Montverde Academy:

Montverde Academy is an international, coeducational, independent college preparatory school for grades Pre-K3-12, with a boarding program serving grades 7-12, and post-graduate studies. Our mission is to inspire students to become knowledgeable leaders with global vision that instills a passion for learning, and that nurtures character development in a disciplined and diverse community. Visit Montverde.org for more information. For more news about Montverde Academy, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @SIMA_MVAsoccer