Meet Our Team

Juliet Duggins

Owner/ Center Director

Juliet Duggins is the center director of Sylvan Learning in the Northeast Bronx. Juliet grew up in Long Island City, Queens. Juliet is used to being one of the first… first Black owned Sylvan owner in NYC, first cohort of girls at the Astoria Variety Boys Club. Although she loves anything that sparkles, her favorite color is red. Juliet’s favorite activity is community service. In fact, what keeps her motivated is knowing that other people are depending on her. Her hobbies include snowboarding and surfing. Food is Juliet’s love language and her favorite is fried chicken.A valuable lesson that she has learned from her mom/community is to work hard while you’re young or work hard for the rest of your life.

Guy Duggins

Owner / Chief of Operations

Guy Duggins is a resident of the Bronx who attended Fordham Preparatory for Boys High School located on the Fordham University campus. During high school,Mr. Duggins believes everything has a nuance and should not be viewed only in black and white. He has a range of hobbies, including fitness training and traveling with his family. Mr. Duggins has seen his community filled with a broad range of situations and learned over time that you can make it regardless of where you start. He believes his community has taught him that life is what you make of the opportunities, and he knows that his community is hungry for more opportunities.

Veronica Straws

V.P of Finance

Growing up in the Bronx, Ms. Veronica attended Aquinas high school where she participated in twirling, Future Teachers of America, and playing the saxophone in her school band.Veronica has fun singing whether that be in church or just for fun. One of her other joys is exploring technology and browsing the internet to learn new things. There’s no better food to offer Veronica than a nice warm bowl of macaroni and cheese.The most important thing that she learned from her community is that giving back makes a significant positive impact on other individuals and communities.

Quanesha Martin

Director of Education

Quanesha (Ms. Q) Martin is a proud native of Harlem, NY. Ms Q’s early exposure to the Upward Bound program at SUNY New Paltz launched her academic journey by first earning an Associates degree from BCC, continuing with a BA in Political Science from Baruch and culminating with an MS in Special Education from LIU Brooklyn. Prior to joining our Sylvan family as director of education, Ms. Q spent her early years balancing academics with extracurricular athletic activities that included playing volleyball and Ice skating. Nowadays, you are much more likely to catch Ms. Q. spending her down time talking to her childhood friends, rewatching her favorite movie Avengers: End Game, taking a painting class, or enjoying sancocho or oxtails from her old neighborhood in East Harlem. Ms. Q is constantly striving to become something that her community both needs and is proud of – and don’t tell her – but her community couldn’t be prouder.

Bria Knott

Center Coordinator

A Co-Op Native Indeed! Bria Knott’s journey from Truman High School to the vibrant halls of Lehman College is a testament to her resilience, adaptability, and unwavering passion for education. With a heart as big as her dreams, Bria’s story is one of determination, growth, and a commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.Beyond her academic pursuits, Bria finds joy in hobbies like fan fiction writing and doting on her beloved pet, Paisley the Yorkie-poo. Not to mention she has a #DoggyAngel Lexi the Maltese whom she misses very much. But her ultimate motivation lies in her aspiration to become a child life specialist and an advocate for children and their families during hospitalization crisis.

Christiana Addy

Marketing Intern

Christiana, who also goes by CeCe, is from the Co-Op City Area of The Bronx, NY. She attended Cardinal Spellman in the Baychester Area of The Bronx. Cece’s favorite color is purple, and her hobbies include creating marketing material for friends, such as logos and social media posts. CeCe grew up mostly in The Bronx and a little bit in Queens, with a Ghanian background.When it comes to her community, CeCe has learned that you’ll never know who’s there; she’s been taught that there are a plethora of networking opportunities, which has prompted her to always be an active member in her community, and so should you!

Mariah Aviles

Executive Assistant

Mariah Aviles hails from the borough of the Bronx, NY, where she attended The Young Women’s Leadership School in Harlem for high school. During her formative years, Mariah was deeply involved in dance, honing her skills at South Bronx Kids, and showcasing her talents in Christian hip-hop and salsa, both within her community and at her church. Her passion for creative expression extended into academics, where she found her niche in English Language Arts. During challenging times, Mariah draws strength from the resilience she has demonstrated in overcoming adversity and from the unwavering support of her cherished village. Mariah treasures the ethos of reciprocity and resource-sharing ingrained in her by her community, recognizing the value of recycling knowledge and extending a helping hand to others.

Reuben Bridges

STEM Program Coordinator

Reuben was Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1982, he moved to New York City at the age of four. His hobbies encompass a wide range of interests, including creating random robot projects, playing basketball, cycling, listening to 80s music, and gaming. These activities bring him joy and relaxation, fueling his passion for exploration and creativity. His community, especially his father, taught him the importance of hard work and education. They showed him that putting in effort and focusing on learning were key to achieving success. This lesson instilled in him a strong work ethic and a commitment to always strive for improvement.

Ramona Mathis-Smith

Sylvan Teacher

Ms. Ramona is an amazing certified teacher at Sylvan of Northeast Bronx. She was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Newark, NJ. She graduated from Mount Saint Dominic Academy in Caldwell, NJ. She is a creative arts writer. She had a hobby as a playwright and has an ultimate goal of taking classes to become a professional voice over actress, ballroom dancer, and a successful house flipper all while she takes care of her goldendoodle Tozin. One thing she learned from her community is whatever you do, be the best at it. She currently lives in Co-Op City and is a middle school Social Studies teacher right here in Co-Op City! At Sylvan she helps students in the community with homework, reading, and writing lessons.

Heather Fontaine-Youngs

Sylvan Teacher

Heather was born and raised in Mount Vernon and attended Mount Vernon High School. While there, she was involved in the Band,Drama and Art clubs. She then went on to graduate from the College of New Rochelle with her Bachelors in Literacy Education and a certified educator. She enjoys all colors and creating things, as it channels her creative elements. She also enjoys drawing and taking pictures.She has 3 kids and her “fourth” is her cat named Taco Spice. She enjoys thinking of ways to appreciate what she is blessed with. Her favorite food is potatoes because of how versatile it is and if stranded on a desert island, she would use her one Amazon purchase to acquire a boat. She also comes from an African-American family with 2 sisters and 2 brothers. She loves everyone in her community, from the children to her friends and family.

“Takeiyah was born and raised in Mount Vernon, NY and graduated from Mount Vernon High School where she was a cheerleader for four years. She even cheered for 2 years at SUNY Cobleskill while obtaining her Associate degree in Early Childhood Education. Takeiyah then transferred to North Carolina A&T State University earning her Bachelor of Arts in English -Technical Writing.She is an avid reader and has no pets, but she wants a Sphinx. What keeps her motivated on a day she may be down is breaking generational curses, her dreams, being a go-getter, and conquering fears. Nothing is stopping her! One thing the Bronx community has taught her is that our skin color and cultural breaks barriers! She believes there’s nothing we can’t do, and we will always rise above, especially Black women.

Peter was born in Ghana. He moved to the U.S in 1992 and moved to CO-OP City in 1994. He received his Bachelors and Master’s at Lehman College in 2008 and 2011. Peter enjoys sports and supports all the New York teams. Peter loves math and numbers.Peter enjoys all the colors and doesn’t have one favorite. Watching sports is one of his pastimes as well as tending to his fish aquarium. Spending time with his wife and three children is the top pastime. His favorite food is FuFu, a traditional Ghanaian food.During Peter’s upbringing in the EWE people of Ghana, he and his 9 siblings learned that respect for everyone is their most important value.

Ms. Christina is a from the Bronx and grew up in District 11. She attended Aquinas High School, which she described as a haven for girls in the South Bronx. Ms. Christina’s favorite color is blue in its tranquil effect. She also owns a shitzu named Max. Her go-to meal is empanadas, and she enjoys 80s music for the vibe its brings. On her spare time, she enjoys baking and cooking. If given the opportunity, she would create a space for teenage single mothers in her community with access to daycare.

Brianna Rivera

Sylvan Tutor

Brianna Rivera was born in London, England and moved to Long Island shortly after. As a young girl, she attended private school at Our Savior New American School, which provided close friendships she still maintains today.She is a light here at Sylvan, always willing to help and educate our students in intentional ways. Her faith in and relationship with God motivates her.During her spare time, she enjoys dancing, reading romantic novels, doing her makeup, and enjoying her father’s delicious mofongo and plenty of other dishes! One thing her community has taught her is that nothing is impossible with God.

Israh is a resident of Yonkers, NY, home to many famous musicians and actors like Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Krupa, Jon Voight, W.C. Handy, Sid Caesar, and Mary J. Blige. Israh attended Roosevelt High School – Early College Studies, there she joined the Dabke Dance Club. Dabke is a Levantine folk dance. After graduating from high school, Israh attended Lehman College in Bronx New York, there she continued her love for the English language by majoring in Creative English and the Philosophy of Law. Israh’s future goals are to attend Law School to become a Lawyer, she minored in Society and Religion. As Israh grew up she learned many lessons, the main lesson that was taught to her by uncle is “There is No success with failure”, which she keeps in mind as she pursues
her goals.

Jada Grey Duggins

Sylvan Teacher Assistant

Jada Grey Duggins is from the Bronx, NY. Jada Grey stays active in her free time by participating in dance and cheerleading, as well as being a part of the Black Student Union and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Sigma Kappa Zeta Chapter’s Archonette Youth Auxiliary.In her free time, she loves working on 3D puzzles and sewing to make clothes. When she’s feeling down, she focuses on her next event, tries new recipes, or uses that time to sleep.Having been given the opportunity to attend school in Manhattan’s District 2, which are very different from schools in the Bronx, Jada Grey has learned that education is not equal everywhere.

Jordyn Morton

Sylvan Teacher Assistant

Jordyn was born in Co-Op City, Bronx, NY. Currently, Jordyn is a 3rd year high school student in Urban Assembly School for Business for Young Women, and her favorite subject is Math.Some of Jordyn’s favorite things are the color yellow, because it’s bright and happy, the comfort food of Baked Mac-N-Cheese, and music. Her family has roots from Bermuda and St. Thomas. Although she’s only visited St. Thomas once, she plans on going back soon. One thing Jordyn has learned is that sometimes you have to make opportunities for yourself. You can’t just wait for it, especially if you have access to the technology.