MVA Announces Dr. Akshay Naraine as Commencement Speaker and Mrs. Mindy Hopman as Baccalaureate Speaker

Montverde Academy is happy to announce that Dr. Akshay Naraine, MVA alum ’13 and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Nova Southeastern University (NSU), will be the keynote speaker at the Academy’s Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 9:45 a.m. at The Nest.

Dr. Naraine began his role at NSU at the age of 29, making him one of the youngest professors ever appointed in NSU’s 60-year history. He runs The Naraine Lab, a 30-member research lab comprised of students ranging from high school to medical school, that investigates new treatments for Parkinson’s disease and herbicide neurotoxicity. He also enjoys teaching undergraduate courses and community engagement and education initiatives at NSU.

Dr. Naraine was a neuropharmacology postdoctoral fellow in Sweden at the Karolinska Institute’s Department of Clinical Neuroscience under the mentorship of Dr. Per Svenningsson, honorable Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Physiology and Medicine and world-renowned Parkinson’s clinician and researcher. Dr. Naraine is the first graduate from Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience’s International Max Planck Research School’s (IMPRS) doctoral program to gain a full-time faculty position. Through Dr. Naraine’s young career, he has received several awards and grants, including the Nicholson Exchange Scholar Award from the Karolinska Institute and the Rockefeller University, the Wenner-Gren Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and Nova Southeastern University’s President’s Research Grant.

Mindy Lee Hopman will be the keynote speaker at Montverde Academy’s Baccalaureate Ceremony held the previous evening on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. at The Nest. Mrs. Hopman serves as the Regional Director of Field Ministry for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Florida, also providing leadership support across parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. She is a Bible teacher, author, curriculum specialist, and speaker, holding a
master’s degree in religion with an emphasis in leadership and a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction. Mrs. Hopman is the visionary and director of FCA’s [THE] Huddle: for women, a global curriculum experience designed specifically for female athletes, coaches, and coaches’ spouses.

In 2001, Mr. and Mrs. Hopman began their work at Montverde Academy (MVA), where she taught a wide range of classes, including World Religions, Biblical Perspectives, Ethics for the 21st Century, English, ESL, and second grade. During her time in the classroom, she was honored as both Teacher of the Year and Master Teacher. She currently serves MVA as a chaplain, character coach, and FCA Huddle Director. Together, Mr. and Mrs. Hopman have raised two student-athletes who attended MVA and have also invested in the lives of countless students through years of service in private boarding school communities. In her free time, Mrs. Hopman enjoys running, reading, paddleboarding, and spending time on the water with her family.

Please note: The Academy’s Commencement and Baccalaureate Ceremonies are closed to the public.