Nicole DeBrocky-Fusfeld, Class of 2007
Nicole DeBrocky-Fusfeld attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she graduated with a BFA in Design and a Minor in Studio Photography. Shortly thereafter she moved to Jersey City, NJ, and began working at Viacom in NYC in design where she worked on several projects including RuPaul’s Drag Race. In November of 2018, Nicole left her full-time design job in New York City to launch her own design business. Having had the opportunity to work with various brands and institutions including Viacom, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, DVFriends, BET, Design Philadelphia, and other various boutique agencies she felt it was the right time to branch out on her own. Nicole is currently accepting new design clients for a wide range of services including but not limited to branding projects, website design, animation, social media marketing, and art consultation.
Nicole and fellow 2007 alumnus Tyler Klaus teamed up to create the design for the original DV mascot in 2011. In 2020, they returned to work with the student government executive committee to update the DV dragon to correspond with the new DVFriends brand.
When did you come to DVFriends, and from where?
I transferred to DV in tenth grade from a public school.
Can you tell us a little bit about your learning difference and struggles in school?
I found that I would often get bored in class. I could dissect a book and have a full-blown conversation about it but when pressed for an essay it was like pulling teeth. The biggest struggle came with standardized tests. I could learn everything you needed me to learn - but to ask me to show my level of understanding on a subject via a standardized test was no measurement of my comprehension.
What changed for you when you came to DVFriends?
DVFriends provided a safe place where I could be unapologetically who I am. My teachers were focused on teaching me in a way that catered to my learning style. Because of this, it opened up space for me to enjoy the other parts of being a high schooler and allowed me to work on discovering who I was as a whole person.
What do you think the long-term value of a DVFriends education has been for you?
The long-term value is not just the education piece gained from attending DV. Attending a school that provided opportunities to join clubs without having to “apply” or to play sports that didn’t require a “try-out” provides confidence, and that confidence teaches you to shoot your shot without hesitation. I move through life shooting my shot and I don’t know that many people can say that.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
There’s something to be said about the caliber of teachers at DV. I don’t know of a single student who didn’t feel like they had at least one teacher in their corner from both a personal and educational standpoint. For me it was LC. LC went to bat for me and treated me as an equal. I was both pushed and protected by her (and if you know me that’s easier said than done). The reason this is so important is because it allows you to grow in a safe space. It allows you to find your voice, when in most educational systems you may not have that opportunity.