This summer, our Middle School Student Affairs Team welcomed Ms. Repetto as a Dean, joining Director Cameron and Dean Russell. Ms. Repetto first came to BASIS Independent Brooklyn three years ago from our sister campus in Manhattan, where she served as Auxiliary Manager. During her tenure leading our Auxiliary Team in Brooklyn, she helped expand our club offerings to include such wonderful new programs like Robotics Teams, Quiz Bowl, DECA, and several sports teams.
Ms. Repetto brings a rich and varied background to her new role. She spent six years as the Dean of Visual Arts with Achievement First School in Brooklyn, and before that, taught visual arts at Uncommon Schools Charter High School and Success Academy. For eight years, she also worked as a freelance illustrator and art director for Vogue Magazine. She studied at both the Fashion Institute of Technology and Milan at Politecnico di Milano in Italy, and she earned her master’s degree from the Relay Graduate School of Education.
Now stepping into her new role as Dean of Students for our Middle School, Ms. Repetto sat down with us to answer a few questions and help our families get to know her better. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
In your past role leading our Auxiliary Team, you were a big proponent of building a strong school culture. What are your plans for continuing to build our Middle School community in the year ahead?
One of the core beliefs I bring to this role is that a strong school culture is not something we simply define or put on a poster—it is something we build together through the everyday experiences students have with one another and with the adults around them. To me, culture is about continually expanding our understanding of ourselves, of one another, and of the world around us. It grows when we are curious, when we encounter perspectives and experiences different from our own, and when we have opportunities to contribute meaningfully to our community.
That philosophy was central to my work in the Auxiliary Programs department. I focused on creating opportunities for students to explore new interests, form meaningful connections, discover new passions, and step into leadership roles. I look forward to bringing that same spirit to Middle School, while thinking intentionally about how we can create a community where students are not only participating in school life, but actively helping to shape it.
I also believe that a strong community should support the whole student. Middle School is such a formative period of academic, social, and personal growth, and I want to be a trusted resource for both students and their families throughout that journey. I want students to know that they can come to me when they need guidance, support, or simply someone to listen. That sense of trust takes time to build, and it comes from being consistent, present, and genuinely invested in students as individuals.
I am particularly committed to student agency and social-emotional growth. Students need opportunities to make decisions, take healthy risks, navigate challenges, learn from mistakes, and advocate for themselves. They also need opportunities to understand how their choices affect the larger community. I hope to help create an environment where students feel both a sense of belonging and a sense of responsibility, where they understand that they are not simply members of a community, but contributors to it.
Most importantly, I want to be steadily present in the daily life of Middle School. I plan to be intentional about spending time with students during lunch, Academic Enrichment time, clubs, sports, field trips, extracurricular activities, and community events. Some of the most meaningful conversations and connections happen outside of formal settings, and those moments often provide the strongest foundation for trust.
Ultimately, my goal is to help cultivate a Middle School community that is intellectually curious, welcoming, creative, and connected—a place where students feel known and supported, but also challenged to see beyond themselves.
Your professional experience spans both education and the arts. Can you tell us more about your experience before joining BASIS Independent Brooklyn?
My professional journey has always lived at the intersection of creativity, education, and a lifelong curiosity about learning. Each chapter of my career has shaped the way I think about supporting students and building meaningful school communities.
I came to New York to study Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and later continued my studies in Milan at Politecnico di Milano. While I was still a student at FIT, I began working professionally as a fashion illustrator and art director. Over the following fifteen years, I had the opportunity to contribute to publications including Vogue Italia, Vogue Japan, L’Uomo Vogue, and Vogue USA, as well as to collaborate with clients across the fashion, design, and hospitality industries. I am incredibly grateful for those experiences, which taught me to approach creative work with curiosity, discipline, collaboration, and an openness to new ideas.
A particularly meaningful turning point came when I was invited to serve as a critic for FIT’s BFA senior thesis presentations. I realized that what I found most rewarding was not simply creating my own work, but helping others develop theirs—asking questions, offering perspective, encouraging new possibilities, and watching someone gain confidence in an idea they had once been uncertain about. That experience helped me recognize how much I loved teaching and mentoring.
When I joined BASIS Independent Brooklyn as the Auxiliary Programs Manager, I discovered another dimension of education that I loved: creating opportunities for students and families to connect beyond the traditional classroom. I had the privilege of developing programs, supporting clubs and enrichment opportunities, planning community events, and creating experiences that encouraged students to explore their interests and discover new passions. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring together my creative background and my commitment to education in a very practical and community-centered way.
Looking back, I think the common thread throughout my career has been a genuine love of learning and a belief in the importance of meaningful experiences. Whether I was working in the arts, teaching, developing programs, or supporting students and families, I have always been drawn to opportunities to help people feel curious, capable, and inspired.
Middle School can be a tricky transition for kids. How do you plan to support students as they navigate both social and academic shifts?
Middle School is such a formative time because students are becoming more independent while navigating significant academic, social, and personal changes. My goal is to help students see those changes not simply as challenges, but as opportunities to discover who they are, build confidence, and develop the skills to navigate the world around them.
I believe students thrive when they have both clear expectations and a strong sense of support. They should know what is expected of them, understand where to turn when they need help, and feel confident that the adults around them are invested in their success. At the same time, I want to give students the space to develop their own voice—to make decisions, work through challenges, learn from mistakes, and gradually take greater ownership of their academic and personal growth.
Supporting students through this transition also requires strong partnership among the adults in their lives. I look forward to working closely with teachers and families so that we can share perspectives, communicate thoughtfully, and provide students with a consistent support system. When students know that the important adults in their lives are working together, they are more likely to feel secure, understood, and empowered to take on the challenges of Middle School.
What do you hope students say about their middle school experience once they step up to high school?
More than anything, I hope students say they felt seen—as whole people, not just as students.
I want them to know they were part of a community that encouraged them to be curious, pursue their passions, ask thoughtful questions, and grow into confident, critical thinkers. I hope they remember a school where they felt comfortable taking intellectual risks, trying new things, and discovering strengths they didn’t know they had.
In addition to benefiting from an incredibly thoughtfully designed academic experience, I hope they leave feeling that their middle school experience helped them grow in a balanced way—that their intellect, their character, and their independence were all nurtured. I want them to say they developed not only strong scholarly abilities, but also a sense of moral purpose, empathy, and responsibility toward others. When students feel connected to their community and understand that their choices have an impact, they become more thoughtful, compassionate, and resilient individuals.
Ultimately, I hope they look back and say that Middle School prepared them not only for high school, but for life. That it gave them the courage to lead with integrity, and the autonomy to navigate an ever-changing world with curiosity, compassion, and a genuine respect for the people and communities around them.
If students leave feeling challenged, valued, inspired, and empowered to make a positive difference, then I believe we’ve accomplished something truly meaningful.
