Chakkrapun Srikuttamart

This is a photo of me that I took of myself during a walk in Eugene on my birthday (I had just gotten my hair cut days prior). The image was taken on top of a hill, in a neighborhood connected to Hendricks Park, which overlooks the city of Eugene with views out to Skinner’s Butte (Champ-a-te).

Degree: BArch

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022

2021-2022 Scholarship
Baird Family Scholarship
Penny and Michael Wilkes Architecture Student Scholarship
Walter Gordon Memorial Student Scholarship in Architecture

I Am Originally From Udon Thani, Thailand

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I choose the University of Oregon for its reputation of being a leader in sustainable design education. To me, the College of Design is an invaluable place where design and art students can interact with one another and facilitate creative events to serve the public and promote social justice initiatives.

I’ve always had a tendency to lean towards creative fields and interests as well as community service and restorative justice. After completing community college I abandoned my creative pursuits to study psychology in the hopes of helping others by becoming a therapist. After doing some soul searching and being met with some reality checks, I came to realize the linkages architecture, art, and design had with human psychology, happiness, and life satisfaction. Through architecture, I can satisfy my own need to be in a creative field and serve to help people. Thus began my pursuit of architecture as a profession.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
I am a first-generation immigrant from Thailand who is also the first in my family to attend college in the US. I have an extensive background of doing volunteer community service work in Tampa, Florida for 17 years. I’m well-traveled, having visited nine countries and twenty-five states. Most notably, I served on a study abroad trip to Guatemala in 2015 and again as a volunteer in 2016 to help with the construction of masonry cooking stoves for the indigenous population around Lago de Atitlan.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
I’ve had many influential professors, but if I were to choose one it would be professor Siobhan Rockcastle, Assistant Professor of Architecture, for her sensibility with not only graphic design, architectural knowledge, but also as a compassionate, empathetic, and patient human being. Having professor Rockcastle as my instructor for my final studio term before verticals and as the first studio instructor during the coronavirus pandemic has set me on a course that has brought me much success since then.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I have been involved with The Asian Pacific American Student Union (APASU), the UO Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), UO student chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), and the UO Center for Advancement of Sustainable Living (CASL). Outside of school, I have been involved with and volunteered for the Oregon Supported Living Program (OSLP) Arts & Culture Program, The City of Eugene Parks & Rec Juneteenth Celebration, and the M.A.R.T. Gallery. I was a co-founder of the M.A.R.T. Gallery where we hosted pop-up art galleries and invited local artists and musicians to come to display and perform their work. These events and activities are important to me because it provides people with tangible and memorable ways to experience the city and communities of Eugene whether they are a student or long time resident.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
So far, the architectural studio culture has been the most profound experience in my academic career. I appreciate the interactions and opportunities for creativity and collaboration with my peers. The camaraderie is unparalleled and when things get overwhelming, it’s comforting to know that you’re not alone in the process.

AFTER GRADUATION
My greatest hope is to be able to put my degree to use by being involved in various spatial justice initiatives around the country and abroad. I feel that architecture has a strong capacity to heal and transform the way people experience their day-to-day lives and those small experiences eventually add up to have a profound impact on the livelihoods of people. Particularly Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) and those living in low-income communities who are affected the most by badly or neglectfully designed spaces. I believe that everybody rises and benefits when those on need are lifted up. Of course, I will also be able to use the knowledge that I’ve gained at the College of Design to work on projects to improve the conditions of my own life and that of my family and friends as well.

YOUR GIFT
These scholarships are extremely important to me in that they relieve me of having to be in a survival mode where I am constantly worried about how I’m going to be able to pay rent or eat. To me, self-care is invaluable, especially in a program like architecture, and these scholarships definitely help ensure that I have time for that. Feeling burnt out from having to juggle so many responsibilities has made me consider quitting higher education altogether or stretching out my time in school even further than I have. With the support from these scholarships, I am able to focus more on my projects and other classes as well as have time to recharge and take better care of myself.

Thank you! It has been a very pleasant surprise to learn that I was chosen as a recipient of your scholarship award. Since I immigrated here from Thailand with my mom, we have always dreamed of a better life through higher education, and after 22 long years, I am finally in my last year of college, ready to graduate at the end of Spring 2022. With your generous support, I am able to focus more on my learning and less on making ends meet. I’m inspired by your willingness to help students like me meet their academic and life goals and hope to be able to do the same in the future. Thank you again.