Admissions

David Buckwald

Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management
david.buckwald@avenues.org

Dave joined Avenues in 2018, bringing 15 years of experience in highly selective college admissions. Most recently, Dave served as one of the directors in the undergraduate admission office at Columbia University, overseeing international admissions and strategic initiatives. Previously, Dave was the director of admissions at Bates College, where he helped to bring in one of the most selective and diverse incoming classes in the college’s history. He began his admissions career at his alma mater, Fordham University in Bronx, NY.

Melissa Hong

Director of Early Learning Center (N–K) and Grades 1–4 Admissions
melissa.hong@avenues.org
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Melissa grew up in New York City and attended the Trinity School. She received a B.A. in French and English at Tufts University (Medford, MA) and an M.A. in elementary education at Columbia University’s Teachers College (New York City).

Melissa has taught in the New York City public school system, as well as at the American School in London. She has lived in London, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Janie Ruiz Yang

Associate Director of Admissions, Early Learning Center (N–K) and Grades 1–4
janie.ruizyang@avenues.org
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Janie Ruiz Yang first joined Avenues New York in 2013 as a kindergarten teacher in the Chinese immersion program. She took up her role as the assistant director of admissions in 2015. Previously, Janie taught at the Atlantic International School in Moscow, Russia.

Billy Hawkey

Associate Director of Admissions for Upper Division
billy.hawkey@avenues.org
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Billy joins Avenues from The Pennington School, a day and boarding school located outside of Princeton, NJ, where he served as Assistant Director of Admission and Financial Aid. Previously, Billy volunteered in Peru, India, and Nepal with Coaches Across Continents, a non-profit organization that uses sport to create social impact in developing communities around the world. Billy majored in psychology at Connecticut College and received his Master's in School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He is fluent in Spanish.

Michael Heyward

Associate Director of Admissions for Upper Division
michael.heyward@avenues.org

Michael joins Avenues from The Athenian School in California, where he worked in admissions for grades 6–12 and also served as a dorm parent, basketball coach and advisor. Previously, Michael worked at the Police Athletic League in New York City overseeing programming and staffing at 18 teen centers throughout the five boroughs. Michael holds a B.A. from Skidmore College in business and management and an M.A. in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University - Irvine.

Carla Isley

Admissions Officer, Grades 5–12
carla.isley@avenues.org
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Born in New Jersey, Carla grew up in Buenos Aires and Hong Kong, where she attended international schools and developed a passion for global education. Prior to joining Avenues, Carla taught English and Spanish at a language school in Hong Kong. She earned a B.A. in Spanish and art history at Colgate University and an M.A. in Spanish literature at Syracuse University.

Leora Kalikow

Associate Director of Admissions, Grades 5–12
leora.kalikow@avenues.org

Leora Kalikow joined Avenues in August 2017, bringing four years of experience in admissions at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, NY. Leora holds a B.A. in journalism and mass communications from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She has also lived and studied in Sydney, Australia, and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Allie Blumstein

Admissions Operations Manager
allie.blumstein@avenues.org

Allie joined Avenues in August 2017. She received a B.S. in accounting at the University of Delaware. Prior to coming to Avenues, Allie earned her CPA while working at KPMG and held roles in operations and finance. Most recently, Allie was the director of operations at a marketing platform for healthy brands.

Sharrie Varroux-Renaud

Assistant Director of Admissions, Upper Division
sharrie.varroux-renaud@avenues.org

Sharrie grew up in New Jersey, where she received a B.A. in political science and anthropology from William Paterson University (NJ) and an M.A. in public administration from Rutgers University (NJ). Before joining Avenues in fall 2020, Sharrie worked in advancement at The Spence School, and most recently worked on the admissions team at BASIS Independent Manhattan.