Born and raised in Durham, NC, Deborah attended the Durham School of the Arts high school before moving to Philadelphia, PA, for her BA in Fine Arts at Bryn Mawr College. She discovered and concentrated in Printmaking in addition to a minor in Feminist and Gender Studies during her tenure as a "Mawrter." She graduated cum laude in 2005. In 2007 Deborah moved to Brooklyn, NY, to complete her Masters in Fine Art, concentrating in printmaking, at Pratt Institute. She became active in the student-lead graduate artist league as well as president of the printmaking collective, organizing print sales and exhibitions and a club trip to the Southern Graphics conference. She graduated in May of 2009 magna cum laude and honored by her department for her interactions and achievements. She then moved back to her hometown and has a studio in the newly-renovated textile factory in downtown Durham, called Goldenbelt Studios.