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My name is Tan Duong, I completed the BFA Graphic Design program at NYIT in May 2020.

As a child, I would often show great interest in creating artworks and other creative practices. Although that was the case, I didn’t have any desire nor drive to push me towards pursuing a creative career path. Growing up in a fairly orthodox Asian family, I was expected to pursue either technology or medicine. The problem was, I liked neither of them. At that point, I was very confused as I didn’t know where or what to pursue in my life. One thing I knew was that I wanted to do something that helps others.

As I was trying to figure out my life’s path towards the end of high school, I started to slowly come back to the one thing I love above all else, being creative. It was at this point that I was recommended to keep doing what I love by my highschool instructor. Fortunately, my family was okay with my choice.

When I first got into the BFA Graphic Design program at NYIT, my goal was to see how far I can get as a creative. It was never meant to be something that I was planning to finish, or so I thought. The more I learned about the world of Graphic Design, the more intrigued I became. I found out that Graphic Design is more than just making pretty pictures, it’s a form of communication, one that makes life easier for all of us.

Upon the completion of the program, my goal remains relatively the same, but now I want to see what positive change I can bring into the lives of others by using my skills as a creative and a communicator. I’m still uncertain whether or not this path will end well for me but one thing I know for sure is that it’s a path I have no regret taking.

P/S: I learned to use the Adobe Suite in my own time in high school to make memes. I didn’t expect that to help me so much with adapting and advancing in the Design classes at NYIT…