Benjamin Bedard

This is a photo of me and my two sisters at a McMenamins around Thanksgiving. My older sister on the left is a 2019 UO graduate, and my younger sister, in the middle, will be starting at UO in Fall 2022.

Degree: BA in Planning, Public Policy & Management, minor in Landscape Architecture

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2023

2022-2023 Scholarship
Kantor Family Internship

I Am Originally From Beaverton, OR

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose the UO because I grew up in Oregon and believed that UO would provide the most well-rounded education and most fitting community for me. My favorite part about being in the College of Design is the faculty and course options available in the PPPM major.

I found PPPM by browsing the degree options on the UO’s website, but selected it because I felt it was a perfect fit for my interests and career ambitions.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
One unique experience is that I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, around Phoenix, AZ, but I have spent most of my life in Portland, OR. I also attended an international school in Beaverton, and have volunteered and participated in a variety of politics-related clubs and activism events.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
I have had many influential professors during my time at UO, but Professors Doug Blandy has probably been the most influential professor so far. His enthusiasm for the subject and understanding of students’ needs and passions has been encouraging and inspiring.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
I took an upper-division course in the Department of Landscape Architecture with Professor Ignacio Lopez-Buson which was incredibly challenging due to the use of 3D design programs and design principles that were totally unfamiliar to me. However, I persisted and found the process of learning and struggling to be incredibly valuable.

AFTER GRADUATION
I really would like to find a career in which I am best suited to make the greatest possible impact. Most importantly, I want to make the world a more fair, equal, and happier place in any way that I can.

YOUR GIFT
I have moved at least four times since 2019, which was a really large financial and emotional burden on me and my family. This scholarship provides some financial support which will help me focus on my career and academic aspirations during my final year at UO.

Thank you for your outstanding generosity and understanding the benefits of granting financial aid to students. It makes a tremendous difference!