Student
Naome Karuletwa Inspired By Managing Director of Peclers Paris To Attend FIDM
Naome Karuletwa is the second person in her family to attend FIDM, after her aunt, Managing Director of Peclers Paris Jennifer Karuletwa, completed her studies in 1999. Born in Los Angeles, Naome’s parents moved her family to Vancouver when she was young, where she grew up. She attended Notre Dame Regional Secondary School in Vancouver and started her studies at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, where she studied Communication and Technology. During the pandemic she reconsidered her goals. Having learned of FIDM from her aunt, she decided to change things up and transfer to the Creative Industry Studies program and concentrate on Visual Communications. We checked in with her to learn more.
What was your path to FIDM like? My path to FIDM was quite unique. During quarantine I was able to take time to really reflect on what it was that I wanted for myself and my future. In addition to this I was working a job that exposed me to things such as photography, styling, and social media marketing. I knew about FIDM because my aunt had not only attended the school but had spoken so highly of it, and it definitely sounded intriguing. However, it wasn’t until much later on that I considered FIDM as an option for myself.
I didn’t really tell anyone that I was applying to FIDM except my parents and brother, mainly because I really wanted to make sure it was something I would be committed to. Luckily I am so fortunate to have amazing family and friends in my life, so when I did eventually tell them I was met with an overwhelming amount of love and support.
How did you decide on your major? I recall browsing the website and reading about all the majors. I knew one thing and it was that I wanted to be able to exist in different spaces be it fashion, design, and/or entertainment. While speaking to my advisor Vicki Saig, I expressed that I had so many interests and wanted a major that was broad enough to expose me to a multitude of concepts and ideas. It was clear to both my advisor and I that Visual Communications would be the perfect fit.
What are your career goals? I definitely still struggle with pinpointing what exactly it is I want to do, which likely has to do with the fact that I still want to do so many different things, which I don’t think is ever going to change. However, to put it broadly, I want to have a career that allows me to create experiences, which to me means that I would like to do something either through digital design, event coordination and planning, photography and/or set design.
Anything else you’d like to share? I would like to add that transferring to FIDM has allowed me to grow in so many ways. Not only because I am living away from home but because it has exposed me to so many different kinds of people and experiences. Attending a school where creative expression is encouraged and celebrated has been a very freeing experience, one I am very grateful for having. Moving is something that is very challenging and I don’t think I would be as comfortable as I am without the knowledge that I have family nearby. Support is everything, especially when it comes to embarking on a new journey.
Follow Naome’s journey on Instagram @naomekaruletwa.
Categories: Visual Communication Transfer Student
