Alison Hicks
Degree: BIArch, Minors in Architecture and Food Studies
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2023
2021-2022 Scholarship
Brownell Fraiser Memorial Scholarship
I Am Originally From Quincy, CA
WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose the University of Oregon for the Interior Architecture Program and curriculum and the overall atmosphere and collaboration of the College of Design. Additionally, the UO campus is beautiful and felt like it could be a second home.
By the end of my junior year of high school, I knew that I was interested in environmental design, whether it was architecture, landscape, or interiors. I chose interior architecture because the curriculum offered a wide range of learning about practice and theory and overall appealed to me more than programs at other schools.
UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
I come from a rural town in Northern California which pushes me to have more of a community focus in each of my projects. Additionally, I have had opportunities to travel and be inspired by architecture throughout the world which allows me to approach my projects through a different lens.
MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
My freshman year, I took an intro class called IARC 204 with Kyuho Ahn, Associate Professor of Interior Architecture, and the following year, I was able to have him as a studio professor. Throughout the design process, we would meet for reviews and he would look at my model or floor plans and turn them a different direction and say “but what if?” This “but what if?” became a design motto for me in taking a step back in each of my projects to try to see it from a different angle and perspective. Kyuho taught me to not take the design process so seriously that I wouldn’t be willing to learn and change.
MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I have been involved in the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) University of Oregon Student Chapter for all three years, holding leadership positions on the executive student team for the past two years. IIDA has helped me learn so much more about the industry and professional practice, while connecting with fellow students and working professionals. Our events throughout the term help students to grow in skills and fellowship in the program.
MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
One of the greatest learning experiences so far has been learning how to interact with my peers and see others as a wealth of knowledge and a resource within studio culture. Every class I’ve taken has been fantastic, and every professor has taught me so much, but it’s the culture of collaboration in the College of Design that I believe has most prepared me for professional practice and life after college.
AFTER GRADUATION
I hope to grow and learn as a designer post-grad. With the goal to always continue learning and growing, I hope to be open to the professional experiences that come my way. My greatest hope is to serve others through my work as a designer, serving the community and the client simultaneously and ultimately loving people through design.
YOUR GIFT
This scholarship is an honor and important in encouraging me as I move through the program. With out-of-state tuition increases and the financial implications of the past year and a half, this scholarship serves as a support for me as a student and my family. It is through scholarships like these that I am able to remain focused on my studies and grow as a designer!
I am honored to receive this scholarship in memory of Brownell Frasier. It is generous donors like you that make it possible for me to achieve my goals of finishing a degree as an emerging design professional. Thank you so much for your generosity and support!