Emma Russell

This is a photo of me on Mt. Shasta, field testing the backpack I made. A friend and I both got to try out the bag on a two-day ski tour up the volcano.

Degree: BFA, Product Design

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2024

2023 Scholarship
Michael and Stacy Koehn Award

I Am Originally From San Francisco, CA

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose to attend UO because of the Product Design program. I knew I wanted to go into outdoor gear design and I like how hands-on and adaptable the UO Design program is.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
I took a gap year before going to college to travel and work at a ski resort in Utah. There, I gained a greater appreciation for not only skiing and mountaineering, but the gear and equipment that is utilized in remote and exposed situations. I took winter term of junior year off to work for a ski guiding company in Hokkaido, Japan, which largely inspired and informed the ski mountaineering pack I made in spring 2023.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
Tom Bonamici has been very influential in both pushing my work and inspiring me to be able to fabricate things on my own. Tom is very good at showing students that they can achieve what they put their minds to, even if it is scary or intimidating.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I work as a bike mechanic at the Outdoor Program. Leading trips and helping others get outside has been a very valuable part of my college experience. I also really enjoyed teaching FTW bike school, which opened a space for female identifying people to learn about bike mechanics.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
Honestly, studying abroad in Copenhagen in fall of 2022. UO gave me the resources to be able to pursue education abroad.

AFTER GRADUATION
I would like to work as a ski guide or ski patroller abroad for a couple years, and then use the knowledge from that experience to design outdoor goods for Arcteryx, Patagonia, or another influential outdoor brand.

YOUR GIFT
This scholarship is supporting me while I complete an internship with a well-established technical bag maker in Salt Lake City. I will also use it as seed money to get materials to make more of my backpacks in the fall. I would like to use the knowledge and connections I build over summer to help me establish my own technical backpack production, though at a pretty small scale while I am still in school.

Thank you for supporting students and for supporting young designers!