Allyssa Gail Corpuz

This is a photo taken during the first week of our study abroad program when we visited Rome. I am the first person on the left.

Degree: Bachelor of Architecture, minors interior architecture, landscape archiecture, art

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2025

2023 Scholarship
Pat Piccioni Scholarship for Excellence in Architectual Design
The DeNorval Unthank Jr. Memorial Scholarship in Architecture
Nasholm Scholarship

I Am Originally From Reno, NV

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose the University of Oregon because as soon as I took a tour of the campus I fell in love with it and all the people made me feel so welcomed. My favorite part about being in the College of Design is being able to feel like you’re a part of a family because of all the time you spend with your cohort in studios and classes. Architecture is definitely a lot of work, but I’ve met some of my best friends who share the same passion as me.

I was originally a pre-med major but after my first term of college I quickly realized that it was not for me so I started to research other majors and wanted to pick something that I knew I would fully enjoy. I have always been a creative individual since I was younger and loved making all forms of art so I combined that with my love for interior design and decided I would try architecture and I turned out to love it.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
A unique life experience that I bring to my study is that I was actually homeless in high school which was another reason for me choosing architecture as a major. Since having to go through that at a young age I was able to see the world form a different point of view and how anti-homeless architecture really affects the poor. I have taken this and made sure to include architectural aspects and implemented them into my studio designs that will help the homeless instead of neglecting them. I am hoping to take this into my profession and design sustainable low income housing and housing for the homeless.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
An influential professor I’ve had was Pamanee Chaiwat. She was my studio professor for ARCH 383 and my GE for ARCH 440. She was very influential for me because of her way of thinking and how she implemented that into design. She tested our creativity by doing fast charette activities to be able to really explore our own ideas rather than only looking at precedent studies online. She also was very supportive in our design ideas and was open to letting us have a lot of freedom with our studio project while still guiding us towards successful design.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I am involved in UO student chapters of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), the UO Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence (CMAE), and the UO Kultura Pilipinas. ASHRAE and AIAS are both important to me because they help me further my learning with architecture while also giving me connections outside of school to help further my career. As for Kultura Pilipinas and CMAE, they are important to me because going to a predominantly white school, it is sometimes hard to fit in and form genuine connections but these organizations help me meet new people who are people of color and are more similar to me, which makes me feel more comfortable in the school. A community activity I am involved in is Eugene’s Saturday Market where I sell my curated vintage clothing and accessories and reworked second hand clothing. This is a huge market that has been around for decades in Eugene and I was able to meet a lot of creative people and small businesses that have helped me grow my own small business.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
The greatest learning experience I’ve had so far at UO was in spring 2023 on a study abroad program called Architecture in Vicenza, Italy. This program was very rigorous but it gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity and allowed me to experience some of the amazing architecture that we learn about in textbooks and lectures. I learned so much history by actually seeing the buildings in front of me and visited many works of Palladio, Carlo Scarpa, Brunelleschi, etc.  We took a week-long excursion to Switzerland which was the highlight of my trip because we got to experience the architecture and how it works with the beautiful scenery. We also were able to go to the famous Therme Baths by Peter Zumthor. It was a surreal experience. Lastly, I met some great people and was able to establish deeper connections with my peers and professors that went on this trip. In the end, we all felt like another family.

AFTER GRADUATION
My greatest hope after graduation is to be able to work for a firm or open my own firm and become a licensed architect. I am ultimately hoping to be able to help the homeless and those with low income by creating sustainable, low cost housing. I will use my College of Design education throughout my internships and career after college and implement everything I’ve learned into my future designs and architectural career.

YOUR GIFT
These scholarships are important to me because as a full time student who also has to work on top of school to pay for my own rent and bills, I really need as much help as I can to pay for my school since I have no one else in my life who is willing to help me. Without federal financial aid and scholarships I would not be able to attend college because it would be far too expensive for me to afford paying for school while also paying for my bills. Receiving scholarships means a lot to me because it is helping me further my education as a first generation, BIPOC student.

Thank you so much for your tremendous generosity. You are helping me achieve my educational goals, including study abroad, which has had an enormous impact on my life. Thank you!