Impington International College alumni Tyger Smalls and Luke Kirilenko making big impression in the USA
Impington International College has been celebrating the success of two of its former International Baccalaureate (IB) students who have established successful football careers in the United States of America.
Alumni Tyger Smalls was recently drafted by Major League Soccer team, Charlotte FC, while Luke Kirilenko’s Rider University team were victorious in the 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men's Soccer Championship.
Professional footballer Smalls, who was previously part of the youth set-up at Premier League giants Arsenal, was drafted by Charlotte earlier this year. The North Carolina-based club are managed by former Aston Villa and Norwich City boss Dean Smith.
Kirilenko, meanwhile, is an international business major at Rider University and competes in college soccer tournaments against other leading American universities.
And his performances were recently recognised with the Vinnie Palmere Award, which is given to a player that has shown a combination of hard work, academic excellence and teamwork skills.
Impington’s assistant principal and head of sixth form Leanne Gibbons said: “I am so proud of Tyger and Luke’s recent sporting achievements.
“During their time with us, they developed their football skills while continuing to gain a robust academic education, which stood them in good stead as they made the move from the UK to the USA.
“I truly believe that the IB programmes we provide are a ticket to a world of opportunity for our students. It brings me great joy to hear of our alumni’s successes.
“I look forward to seeing them continue to thrive on and off the pitch and will be cheering them both on from Impington.”