Josue Duran: Designing His Future

By Rod Granger 

‘Impressive’ is the word that comes to mind when speaking with Josue Abreu Duran.

The 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic graduated from Riverside earlier this month, and the very next day he began a job at Manhattan’s City Printing & Signs as a graphic designer!

Josue hard at work in his Level 2 class.

Arriving in the U.S. in July 2025, Josue wanted to continue improving his English following his studies in his home country and excelled in his four months as a student at Riverside.

“Josue consistently demonstrated himself as a diligent, inquisitive student, always eager to enhance his English language skills and to rise to meet new challenges,” said Noel Shaw, Tesol Instructor at Riverside. “Considering his brief stay in New York City thus far, his accelerated progress has been remarkable.”

Largely self-taught, Josue worked at his family’s graphic design business after graduating high school in the Dominican Republic, honing his skills. Once in the U.S. and ready to work, Josue turned to his online skills to find a job.

“I looked in LinkedIn and Google Maps,” he explains.

Specifically, he looked for prospective jobs, then turned to Google Maps to find their websites, applied, and City Printing & Signs called him that day for an interview.

Now employed, Josue hopes to continue expanding his experience and expertise in his chosen profession, as he continues along his projected path.

As we said, impressive. Congratulations, Josue!!