Chakkrapun Srikuttamart
Degree: BArch
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022
I’m From: Udon Thani, Thailand
Why I Came to the UO and How I Chose My Major
I chose the University of Oregon because of its revered focus on the environment, sustainability, and resilience in the architecture program. The best thing about being in the College of Design is the constant stream of student art being rotated every week. Whether its photography, sculpture, jewelry, woodworking, painting, or architecture models and posters, there’s always new work that’s exciting to look forward to and new people to meet and make friends with!
I’ve always been drawn to art and design. However, my interest in architecture initially stemmed from the intersection of skateboarding, photography, travel, and urban forms. Throughout high school and the first three years of college, I was pursuing psychology as my major because I have a need to help others and psychology was the most straight forward way to achieve that. But in the middle of my pursuit of a bachelor’s in psychology, I had a change of heart and wanted to pursue something where I can be creative and use my hands while also being able to help others. At this moment in my life, I was hooked on the idea of learning about tiny houses and alternative ways of living. But as my understanding of architecture grew, I came to the realization that architecture can be a form of healthcare as it impacts our physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. Thus, I decided that pursuing architecture was the way I had to go to satisfy my need to be creative and help others at the same time.
Unique Qualities I Bring to My Studies
I have over 17 years of volunteering experience – working at a Thai temple every weekend and summer since I was a youth. I’ve been intimately involved with several leading organizations throughout high school and college including S4TL, NHS, and NSCS. I’ve studied abroad in Guatemala as part of a global leadership course where we worked closely with professional stonemasons, Guatemalans, and indigenous peoples to build masonry stoves over the course of a week. The following year, I went on my own discretion to do the same thing (not as a part of a course). Furthermore, during my years in Eugene, I sought to integrate myself in the arts community of the city. My friends and I hosted bi-monthly pop-up art gallery events at our house(s) from 2018 to 2020. During these events, we rearranged our decor, networked with local artists to have them showcase their work on our walls, reached out to local musicians to have them play in our backyards, arranged for foodtrucks to do business, and provided a safe and inclusive space for people to come enjoy art and connect with the community!
My Influential Professors
My most recent architecture studio professor, Siobhan (Shevy) Rockcastle, had the most profound influence on me. This was spring term 2020 where everything was held online; the COVID-19 pandemic was raging across the nation and the world. Architecture studio culture, being as rigorous and stressful as it is, Shevy showed us kindness, patience, flexibility, and compassion while also keeping us accountable for our work and our growth throughout the term. Aside from digital, technical, and creative skills, Shevy helped me grow as a person. She helped solidify my self-confidence, she was empathetic to my mental health hurdles, and she was overall an amazing resource, guide, and instructor throughout this unprecedented and difficult time.
My Extracurricular Activities
I’m involved with APASU (Asian and Pacific American Student Union). This organization is important to me because it helps me connect with other Asian Americans all over campus, leading to new collaborations and lasting friendships. Before the pandemic, I was training in martial arts through the university and was in the process of making a skateboarding club. I was also organizing pop-up art gallery events throughout the city and volunteering for the OSLP (Oregon Supported Living Program) arts program
My Greatest Learning Experience at UO
My greatest learning expereince has been being in the architecture studio environment. The format of the classes and the learning process is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before while simultaneously being everything I ever wanted. There’s freedom in creativity, is accessible 24/7, the student community is tight-knit, the professors are inspiring, and there’s a unique sense of ownership to your studio space.
After Graduation
I plan on using my design education and skills to extend compassion and transformation to the communities that need it the most. I plan on giving back to the communities that raised me and others like them around the nation and the world. As it stands right now, I hope to be able to work at a firm that focuses on community redesign and spatial and transformative justice. I plan on continuing my practice within the states with the hopes of being able to work in multiple countries internationally, but I ultimately would love to end up practicing in Thailand.
Your Gift
Frankly, this scholarship serves as a security blanket or safety net. With help from this scholarship, I am able to worry less about money. I can take time off of work to focus on my studies and also develop skills and networks outside of school and within the community. Ultimately this scholarship allows me to worry less about making ends meet and provides the ability for me to practice meaningful self-care so that I may sustain myself throughout the term and my duration at the university.
Thank you for your generous investment in my future and the future of the communities that I will inevitably serve as a professional. I am thrilled to be a recipient of this scholarship opportunity; I hope that one day I will be able to pay forward this kind gesture and help someone else also achieve their goals. Thank you again!