Meet Our Team

Barrier Breakers®, Inc. is proud to have a team of diverse individuals helping students achieve their higher education dreams! Scroll to read about each of our team members and the journey that led them to our organization!

Leadership

Sydney Montgomery, Esq. | Executive Director & Founder, Admissions Advisor

Sydney Montgomery is the Executive Director and Founder of Barrier Breakers®. Barrier Breakers® has worked with 7,000 students on the college and law school admissions process. Sydney holds a B.A. in English from Princeton University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from UC Irvine, and a Certificate in Anti-Racism in Urban Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and the Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors. Sydney is currently an MDiv/MACEF candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary. She speaks and leads workshops on issues of educational equity and diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, corporate, and faith-based settings and has been featured in Inc., Forbes, FastCompany, Medium, and CNBC, among others.

Rebeka Humbrecht | Director of Marketing, Communications, and Strategy

Rebeka Humbrecht is a graduate of St. John’s University where she received her B.S. in Communication Arts, dual degree in English, and a minor in Social Justice. She comes to our team with 4+ years of experience in various areas of the communications field, including multimedia journalism, production, public relations, and social media management. She is a member of the CMO Alliance. Rebeka is passionate about using her media skills to highlight important issues and initiatives that make positive change in the world. As a queer woman, she is always looking for more ways to increase LGBTQ+ visibility in media.

Admissions Advisors & Essay Editors

  • Nadia Castriota, Ph.D

    DIRECTOR OF LAW STUDENT SUCCESS, ADMISSIONS ADVISOR

    Dr. Nadia Castriota has nearly 20 years of experience in professional/graduate school admissions and student development and is truly dedicated to student success. She has previously been the Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Florida International University – College of Law, the Director of Admissions at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, the Assistant Dean at Albany Law School, and most recently the Director of Admissions at St. Thomas University School of Law. Dr. Castriota is originally from New York and relocated to South Florida to be closer to family and continue her career in academia, specifically admissions and student engagement. Dr. Castriota earned her BS from Florida International University, MS from Nova Southeastern University, and recently completed her PhD in Ethical Leadership at St. Thomas University.

  • Cynthia Rivera, Esq.

    DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS, ADMISSIONS ADVISOR

    As a law school admissions consultant, Cynthia is dedicated to helping law school applicants discover their strengths and craft a personal narrative that maximizes their potential. She obtained her B.A. in History from Cornell University before earning her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. While attending Cornell, Cynthia was a student recruiter with the undergraduate admissions office. At the University of Virginia, she was a student member of the Admissions Task Force. She later returned to UVA, where she worked as a reader with their law school admissions office reviewing and assessing numerous applications. Before working in admissions, she worked as a financial advisor for a wealth management firm and as an attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Office in Washington, D.C. Raised in Puerto Rico, Cynthia is fluent in both English and Spanish.

  • Nana Koranteng

    ESSAY EDITOR

    Nana Koranteng is the Assistant Director, Public Administration, Government, & Law at Suffolk University Center for Career Equity, Development & Success. She received her B.A. from Pomona College in Southern California and her M.A. from Harvard University. After completing a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Manama, Bahrain, she spent two years as an education consultant in Dubai. Throughout her professional journey, she has enjoyed supporting applicants in putting forth their most authentic selves in essays.

  • Ndidi Amadi, J.D.

    ESSAY EDITOR

    Ndidi Amadi is an Assistant Director of Career Counseling at GW Law School. She is equipped with experience in the fields of pre-law advising, law school career counseling, education and non-profit organization. Ndidi is a proud graduate of Howard University and Drake University Law School. Ndidi is a first-generation Nigerian-American and enjoys bringing her culture to everything she does. Ndidi is also a traditionally published children's book author with Penguin Random House - Waterbrook. In her spare time, Ndidi enjoys traveling, reading, the performing arts, cooking and spending time with her friends and family.

Support Staff

  • LoVetta Jenkins

    CONTENT CURATOR

    LoVetta is a Multimedia Journalist with a Master's Degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. LoVetta also works as a radio personality and podcast host. She loves to read, talk to new people and to learn. She's most passionate about sharing knowledge with others and being a champion for positivity.

  • Tara Mercene

    VIDEO & PODCAST EDITOR

    Tara is a graduate of Macalester College where she received her B.A. in Media & Cultural Studies and a Minor in American Studies. She has worked with nonprofits providing accessible media resources to local communities, as well as presenting platforms for local artists to showcase their work. Overall, she is an avid storyteller of Asian American and Mental Health Awareness stories and is passionate about providing more media representation to minority groups.

  • Shiela Casil

    DATA SERVICES ASSOCIATE

    Shiela finished her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Operations Management in the Philippines. She also took up teaching units because of her passion to teach and help students in the public college in her community. It has always been in her heart to be part of the training and development of the next generation. For over 7 years now, she has been actively helping people around her through various community outreaches and volunteer work in church, where she plays drums and leads a study group for young professionals.