The Quad Manhattan
Programs for Twice-Exceptional (2e) Children
Heather Goldman, Ph.D. – Supervising Child Psychologist
Dr. Heather Goldman, a Clinical Instructor of Psychology at Columbia University, has been the Supervising Clinical Psychologist for The Quad since its inception in 2010. She has over 10 years experience coordinating school-based mental health programs, running her own private practice and serving as a school psychologist at 2 schools, one that serves 2E children. She additionally teaches and is experienced in running clinical trials. Heather is the Program Director for The Quad's Psychosocial Internship Program and for the Certificate Program in Meeting the Needs of Twice Exceptional Children. She directs all afterschool programs and provides professional insight to the ALL programs at The Quad by supervising several interns and staff members in working with our kids. She is enthusiastic with knowledge and experience.
Email: heather@thequadmanhattan.com
Ashley Riviere – Director, Summer Camp
Ashley began at the Quad in 2012 as a Core teacher and as the Summer Camp Director in 2013. Ashley is a teacher, tutor, writer, and admirer of all things fun! Ashley graduated from The College at Brockport, SUNY with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and NYS Teaching Certification in English and Special Education. Ashley is currently a Special Education Teacher for New York City Department of Education. She specializes in reading and writing and has implemented two summer curricula for The Quad Manhattan including writing for the media and multi-cultural, hands-on reading with interactive field trips. Ashley has a true passion for teaching, children and their advancement in the world.
Email: ashley@thequadmanhattan.com
Mirlet Auguste – Capoeira and Dance Specialist
Mirlet Auguste has been teaching summer camps at the Quad since 2011. He is a Graduado from Grupo Capoeira Luanda NYC under the supervision of Mestre Jelon Vieira and has been training capoeira for over 8 years. Mirlet has also taught Capoeira at Kipp Amp Charter School in Brooklyn. A native New Yorker, Mirlet is also a free-style dancer and performer with a strong influence of Afro beats and House music and a full-time Fashion Designer.
Kimberly Busi, M.D. – Founder and Director
Kim Busi is a Psychiatrist in private practice in Lower Manhattan and a former Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine. She left her faculty appointment in 2009 to found The Quad Manhattan. She received her Medical Degree from the Brown University School of Medicine in 1997. After completing a year’s training in Pediatrics at the New York Hospital-Weill Medical Center, Dr. Busi finished her residency training in Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine in 2001. At NYU, Dr. Busi has designed curriculum, and taught and supervised residents. She served on the Curriculum Committee for the Department of Psychiatry, and as the Director of Education for the NYU/Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture, a not-for-profit multidisciplinary treatment center within the Bellevue Hospital Center. There, she developed a multilevel curriculum to teach and supervise over 100 medical students, residents and psychologists. Best of all, she is the mother of two wonderful boys, 14 and 10.
Email: kim@thequadmanhattan.com
Nicole Cavaliere- Fine Art and Photography Specialist
Nicole started at The Quad as a fine arts teacher in 2013 and has taught in The Quad After School program and summer program as a Core Teacher. She is an artist and teaching artist with a degree in Art and Design Education from Pratt Institute, where she taught in their Saturday Art School. She has also taught at Academy of the City Charter School in Queens and has worked with sick, disabled, and disadvantaged children in South America and Africa for 3 summers with the Hope For The Children Foundation.
Jackson Kent- Improvisational Theater Specialist
Jackson started at The Quad as an intern in the summer of 2013. He returned in the summers of 2015 and 2016 as an improv teacher. He was an assistant teacher at The Quad Preparatory School from 2013 to 2014. During this time he taught two afterschool classes in improv theater and psychosocial core curriculum. He has been working with children since 2009 and has been involved with theater for his entire life. Jackson completed undergrad studies in Psychology at Oberlin College and is currently pursuing a masters of social work at Hunter College and graduates in May of 2016.
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Jennifer Yu- Core Teacher
Jennifer is a graduate of Wellesley College and Teach For America, Jennifer holds Master’s degree in Secondary Special Education and is currently pursuing a PsyD in School-Clinical Child Psychology at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. She has experience teaching co-taught and self-contained Reading to high school students and most recently worked with 2e children at the Quad Preparatory School and Quad Manhattan Afterschool Program where she has co-written curriculum for the humanities and taught after school programs.
Psychosocial Internship Class of 2026
Jesse Eisner, Chief Intern
Tulane Class of 2026
She/Her
Jesse graduated Tulane University this Spring with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Pre-Med. She completed The Quad Manhattan's Psychosocial Internship in 2025. An active member of her Sorority NAMI (National Alliance Mental Illness), Jesse helped host workshops helping and educating people including organizing activities with on campus with dogs. Jesse served as a research assistant at NYU Langone Dysautonomia Center where she assisted in developing a protocol to improve patient care and conducted research for the Dysautonomia blog. As a former volleyball player, Jesse is also involved in intramural sports at Tulane in her spare time. She served as a camp counselor for a sleep-away camp program where she instructed a group of 13-year-old campers in sports and general sportstmanship as well as helping them cope with social and interpersonal challenges.
Alexandra Elen Vasilkovsky, Columbia University Class of 2027
She/Her
Alexandra is a psychology student at Columbia University. She volunteers as a crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line and is dedicated to pursuing a graduate degree and career in clinical psychology. This summer, Alexandra seeks to combine her two interests, providing support to children and mental health, in a classroom setting. She plans to become a child therapist, eager to contribute the skills that she's gained from experiences in mental health and educational settings to the psychosocial internship. In her free time, Alexandra spends much of her time experimenting in the kitchen, cuddling with cats, and watching detective shows.
Nicole Katcher, Emory University Class of 2027
She/Her
Nicole is a rising senior at Emory University majoring in Psychology with a strong interest in child development and evidence-based behavioral support. She has experience working directly with children in classroom settings and conducting cross-cultural research on empathy and social development. Nicole is eager to grow through close mentorship and hands-on learning alongside clinicians and educators, and she is excited to contribute to The Quad’s social-emotional learning environment. In her free time, she enjoys wheel pottery, photography, journaling, and spending time outdoors.
Amanda Lee, University of Rochester Class of 2027
She/Her
Amanda is currently a rising senior at the University of Rochester studying biology and psychology and minoring in studio art with the hopes of pursuing occupational therapy. She previously worked as a teacher's aid therapeutic preschools in Manhattan and Rochester where she provided individualized support and programming to students with special needs. One of her favorite experiences in high school was being a camp counselor at the local elementary school. In her free time, Amanda enjoys crafts such as crochet and watercolor.
John Mathioudakius, Fordham College at Lincoln Center Class of 2027
He/Him
John is a rising senior at Fordham, majoring in psychology. His long-term goal is to pursue a career in counseling psychology, primarily working with children and teenagers. He is the president of the Hellenic Society at Fordham where he works alongside faculty to boost educational value for the society's members. He also served as a summer camp day counselor in NYC where he worked with Kindergarten-first graders to provide recreational and educational activities in 2023. Outside of psychology, John's passion is travel to satiate his love for learning about new people, cultures and food.
Max Nussbaum, Tulane University Class of 2027
He/Him
Max is a junior at Tulane University double majoring in Spanish and Psychology. He has studied abroad in Madrid and Rome and is involved in campus and community organizations focused on service and mental health such as Psi Chi. Max is interested in learning how culture, language, and psychology intersect, and he enjoys work that allows him to support others, build connections, and contribute in meaningful ways.
Benjamin Sande, CUNY Class of 2027
He/Him
Benjamin, also called Banjo, is an undergraduate psychology student at the City College of New York. He has had extensive experience working with children in multiple settings. From 2019-2023 he worked for Brooklyn Porch Music, providing free music education to the children of the Ditmas Park community. At Brooklyn Porch Music, Banjo worked with neurodiverse and neurotypical students, in groups and one-on-one, teaching repertoire and mediating creative differences during songwriting. Banjo has worked at multiple synagogues, teaching Hebrew school classes as well as leading children’s services, and has also worked with children in private child care settings. In February of 2023 Banjo taught students at the Tri-Ratna Co-operative School in Bungamati, Nepal, where he gained experience in fostering a comfortable and creative environment while navigating linguistic and cultural differences.
Rachel Wong, Tufts University Class of 2026
She/Her
Rachel is a senior at Tufts University with a degree in Psychology and Child Studies and Human Development. She is an aspiring pediatric social worker and will be entering Boston College's Master's in Social Work program this coming fall. In the past, she has interned at the Child Mind Institute, where she used PRIDE skills to support children with ADHD. She has also worked at the New England Center for Children and MGH Aspire, where she supported autistic children through ABA and CBT interventions. She has a particular interest in serving neurodivergent youth populations. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, and hanging out with her friends.
Grace Zhou, Barnard College Class of 2026
She/Her
Grace is a Psychology major at Barnard College with hands-on experience supporting children, adolescents, and neurodiverse learners. She has contributed to research projects at Barnard, Columbia University, and Peking University, focusing on adolescent mental health, parent–child communication, and sociocultural influences on self-perception. Grace also works directly with young children as an assistant teacher at the Barnard Toddler Center and has supported autistic youth through educational and therapeutic programs. She is passionate about developmental psychology and creating emotionally responsive environments where children can learn and thrive.
Rebecca Schiff, Barnard College Class of 2027
She/Her
Rebecca is a rising senior at Barnard College of Columbia University, where she is pursuing a major in Psychology, and she serves as Vice President of Programming and Operations for the Psychology Society. She brings a strong interest in child development and mental health, with experience supporting children and adolescents across therapeutic, camp, and leadership settings. Rebecca has served as a Mental Health Advisor at Teen Talk, providing compassionate, confidential support to teens navigating emotional challenges, and as a counselor and leadership committee member at United in Harmony, a summer camp for underprivileged children. She has also interned at Edgeline Films, where she gained exposure to clinical work through the documentary series Couples Therapy and contributed research for a film on the adolescent mental health crisis. Rebecca plans to pursue a PsyD degree with the goal of becoming a licensed child therapist. In her spare time, she enjoys attending concerts, video editing, experimenting with new recipes, and spending time with friends and family.
Amelia Barkett, The New School Class of 2027
She/Her
Amelia is a Masters candidate in Psychology at The New School in New York City, where she has also earned a BA in Psychology. She completed her first year fellowship at Eugene Lang School of Liberal Arts where she mentored first year college students, organized school wide events, and completed a training program focused on adolescence and young adult mental, academic, financial and overall wellbeing. Amelia founded the Teen Service Group where she spearheaded fundraising for women and children escaping violence and volunteered at the women's shelter at St. John's Program for Real Change. During her undergrad, Amelia served as a research assistant at The New School where she assisted research examining sexuality, technology, relationships and digital behavior, analyzing data and conducting literature reviews to summarize peer-reviewed findings.