Chloe Kov

Degree: BFA in Product Design, minor in Environmental Studies

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022

2021-2022 Scholarship
Michael and Stacy Koehn Award
Peterson Family Scholarship

I Am Originally From Portland, OR

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
In elementary school the only things that mattered to me were arts and craft time and recess. I skipped playing on any of the playground equipment and tried to weasel my way into playing football with the boys. That being said, as a child I always looked up to the Ducks Football team. I would watch all of their games with my pops in the living room, starry eyed, mouth agape, sitting as close to the screen as I could. My dad would badger me not to be so close because my eyesight would diminish. So as a child I made it a bucket list item to be an Oregon Duck. At the time I had no idea what college actually was. I just thought you got to leave the confines of your parents and be surrounded by sports legends. So I never envisioned what area of study I would land in. But through some stroke of luck I waddled my way into the College of Design. Partaking in hands-on work has been a pivotal part of my life and has triumphed over my love of sports now that I have gotten older. Being in the College of Design has empowered me as a designer because I not only get the privilege of learning in the classroom but I am constantly surrounded by amazing peers and mentors that inspire me to produce amazing work. It is through this community that I have been able to grow.

I took a quiz in the 6th grade. No lie. I remember my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Keller, assigned us to take a quiz that matched up our personal vision and morals with possible career choices and after completing the test, the career that stood out the most to me was Product Designer. Being a smelly middle schooler who only cared about sports and dressing to impress being in a career where I could design athletic garments seemed like a no brainer. After taking that test I didn’t dwell on career choices very much afterwards until it came down to crunch time: junior year of high school. Luckily for me Mr. Keller ended up teaching a Maker Space class during my junior year and I was introduced to all the amazing tools that Product Designers use like 3D printers, CNC machines, and laser cutters. That’s where my love for design began and what propelled me to pursue higher education with a focus on product design.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
I believe that my perspectives as a queer, Filipina/Cambodian, female environmental designer, will be a valuable asset to the program and to the field. I believe that the design sphere often lacks diversity. Diverse thoughts elicit innovation. In order to create this environment, you need to have a room full of people with diverse backgrounds, ideologies, and experiences. There are often flaws in designs that make a product or system inaccessible to some groups of people because it has been created by a monochromatic room of people. My goal as a designer is to design for everybody. Not only creating products that are usable by everybody but are also enjoyable for anyone to use.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
All the UO Product Design professors are absolutely stellar! The two professors that I have had the privilege of taking many courses with that have influenced me as a designer are Hale Selek, Assistant Professor of Product Design, and Tom Bonamici, Instructor of Product Design. Whilst taking multiple courses with Hale, she has always pushed me and my peers to think outside of the box. The work she produces in her own Design Studio is inspirational and is a testament to her ability to come up with creative solutions.  Moreover, she empowers us to challenge ourselves by her constant feedback and support. I couldn’t be more thankful to have had the opportunity to take courses with her guidance. Tom Bonamici has championed my growth and work ethic from the jump. Taking my first studio course with Tom’s pragmatic attitude has really pushed me to work hard. He has taught me how to take pride in the process whether it is refining a design or cleaning up my workstation; all things that have improved my projects greatly. Moreover, he introduced me to this notion of the human cost of design and has impressed on us to be mindful of all the people that will be impacted by our products, which is something I find to be super important.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I am currently the director of the Coalition Against Environmental Racism (CAER), a UO student organization committed to bridging the gap between the struggle for social and environmental equality. It has been a pleasure getting to provide a safe space for people to discuss a topic that impacts all facets of life yet seldom is given the attention it deserves. Being a part of CAER this year has been really inspiring and impactful. During the spring we were able to host a conference entitled “Environmental Racism by Design” where we were able to showcase 6 amazing BIPOC speakers who shared ways in which their specific design fields have enabled environmental racism and on the other hand have paved the way for environmental justice.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
I believe that the greatest learning experiences I have had at UO have taken place not during lectures but through discussions with my peers.. I remember one of the most inspirational moments that first took place at UO was working deliriously at 2 am on an art assignment listening to absurdly named Spotify playlists with a bunch of my friends in the Makerspace in Kalapuya Ilihi Residence Hall. Attending the University of Oregon  I am constantly surrounded by incredibly talented and passionate people that are not only inspiring but challenge me to think in ways I would have never thought before. This constant exposure to diverse groups of people and diverse ways of thinking have empowered me and have facilitated my growth as a student and as an individual.

AFTER GRADUATION
My main objective in life is to be a part of the change and progression towards creating sustainable solutions to combat climate change and to lessen the disproportionate impacts on BIPOC and low-income communities. I strive to make being environmentally friendly accessible and convenient for everyone no matter race, gender, class, etc.  I plan to make this happen by designing products and systems that help reduce and replace wasteful everyday-use items through circular design. As a designer, I believe that design has played a huge role in enabling environmental injustices that disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income populations, but I also believe I can utilize design to combat these injustices.

YOUR GIFT
As a child of immigrants, I often succumb to imposter syndrome. I push myself to produce work that is meaningful to me and has the ability to create the change I seek. Although, as one individual working on these projects I sometimes fall into self doubt and wonder if anything I am creating makes any real impact and do people care about the work I am producing. This scholarship has given me the validation and confidence that I am on the right track. You have made me believe in the projects I have been working on tirelessly whilst at UO. Through your generosity I am able to pursue my goals with more financial freedom and support.

Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for empowering me to continue to pursue my love for design. This scholarship means so much more than just allowing me a little more financial freedom; it is fueling my motivation to continue my academic studies. Through your generosity I hope to use these funds to impact my community and further down the line, I hope to have make an impact on students just like you have done.