Lyla Dufresne: From Setbacks to Success at SUNY Broome

By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart

Lyla Dufresne’s life is the definition of the adage “when one door closes, another opens.” But for Dufresne, life didn’t open just another door, but rather a series of four interconnected doors full of opportunities. The Business: Marketing, Management and Sales: A.A.S. student hasn’t flinched at adding a bonus Social Media: Certificate, and a student position in SUNY Broome’s Office of Marketing & Communications (MarCom) to her schedule, because for her, every door opened at her community’s college has proven to be even better than the last. 

Dufresne hails from the Finger Lakes region, spending her elementary and middle school years in Ithaca, New York, until her family eventually settled in Newark Valley. While Dufresne dabbled in everything from bowling, to swimming, to ballet, her heart was always drawn to the visual arts, devoting her downtime to amassing a collection of original artwork across a variety of mediums. 

A Door Closed

The summer before her senior year, Dufresne toured colleges around the country with her portfolio in tow. Though most of her meetings with art schools were positive, the feedback from her then “dream school” was not nearly as encouraging.

“I met with only one person from the College’s admissions office,” Dufresne reflected. “He took a quick look at my work and flatly told me that I had ‘no chance’ of being accepted. I was crushed.”

Though understandably heartbroken, she handled her unexpected setback with a clarity far beyond her years. 

“Art was my passion, but I was told that pursuing a career as an artist was something that I couldn’t or shouldn’t do. So, I asked myself, ‘What should I do now?’” Dufresne explained. “I was the editor of the yearbook and loved designing the advertisements and layouts. I thought that a career in marketing would still allow me to be creative, but also play to my other strengths.”

Open Door #1: Broome-Tioga BOCES’ New Visions’ Business Academy

Just as Dufresne was embracing a pivot from art to marketing, her school counselor pitched a new opportunity for her senior year. Through the competitive Broome-Tioga BOCES New Visions Business Academy, she would join a cohort of the region’s high-achieving seniors. Together, they would spend an immersive year earning high school and college credits concurrently, all while learning the ins and outs of business, and participating in a series of job shadowing experiences with local employers and industry partners. 

Whether it was just good timing or an official sign, Dufresne didn’t know, but she felt it was an opportunity too good to ignore.

Open Door #2 – A Preview of SUNY Broome

When Dufresne arrived at SUNY Broome’s Office of Marketing & Communications as a New Visions student, she assumed that it would just be another placement where she’d attend some meetings, tackle an entry-level project or two, and maybe get some professional feedback on her developing graphic design skills. After introductions and a quick overview of the breadth of work produced by SUNY Broome’s in-house marketing shop, a member of the MarCom team inquired about her post-graduation plans.

Before she knew it, Dufresne shared her entire story: her art school rejection and the identity crisis that followed, her hopes for the New Visions program, and her uncertainties about what was to come. She showed samples of her work in Canva and snippets from her artistic past. 

Met with kindness and an affirmation of her potential, Dufresne was encouraged to consider a future at SUNY Broome. For the first time in a long time, she not only felt welcomed, but wanted. Minutes later, Dufresne was in the Admissions Office, completing a free application.

At the end of her MarCom rotation (where she did, in fact, sit in on meetings, craft content, and work alongside the social media and design teams), Dufresne left with a return invitation from 

SUNY Broome’s thoroughly impressed Director of Marketing & Communications, Kerry Gallagher: “If you decide to come to SUNY Broome, we’d love to have you join our student assistant team!”

Open Doors #3 and #4 – Studying and Working at SUNY Broome!

Dufresne finished in the top 10 of Newark Valley High School’s Class of 2025 and excitedly prepared for her new chapter as a college student. Sadly, her SUNY Broome experience admittedly got off to a rocky start. Just days before beginning her first semester, Dufresne was rushed into emergency surgery. Unsure of what to do, she remembered that her stint as New Visions/SUNY Broome intern brought more than just experiential learning; it brought campus connections. 

“I reached out to Kerry (Gallagher) and explained my situation,” Dufresne said. “She got me connected to the right campus services and to my professors, to make sure that I would be  supported when I came back. Missing my first week of college because of a medical emergency was definitely stressful, but I never felt alone.”

After playing a little catch-up, Dufresne quickly got back on track, breezing through her classes in Business Law and Marketing. Thanks to the seamless transfer of her New Visions and concurrent enrollment credits, she was able to add the Social Media: Certificate to her degree plan. This cert helps her to thrive at her on-campus job in MarCom, where she applies her newly emerging techniques in marketing and design to help curate the College’s social media content. 

Lyla’s Advice for Future Broome Students: “Just do it – come to SUNY Broome! It’s affordable, has excellent academic programs and transfer partnerships, and offers so many resources for students. The faculty and staff want to see you succeed. I am proof of that!” 

Lyla’s Favorite Campus Resource: “This past semester, I had to navigate a lot of personal trials with my own health, my mom’s health, and the loss of my grandma. I’m so glad that I had access to SUNY Broome’s Counseling Services. It’s free for any student, and so helpful.”

Learn more about MarCom’s Student Team! Student Worker Program at SUNY Broome – YouTube

Tags: Business: Marketing Management and Sales AAS, MarCom, Profile, Social Media Certificate, Student Profile