Christina Hardeman

This is a photo of my daughter’s high school graduation day in 2020, the year that Covid changed the world. It was shortly after this picture was taken that I decided to enroll at UO. Left to right: Me, my daughter, my son, and my husband.

2021-2022 Scholarship
PGE Illumination Scholarship

Degree: BLArch

Expected Graduation Date: Winter 2024

I Am Originally From Anaheim, CA

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
The University of Oregon chose me! I wanted to purse a degree in Landscape Architecture, and UO had the program that fit my needs. I love learning and working together with other students and professors to create living spaces full of life.

I have wanted to be an architect since I was a child, but life took me in different directions for a long time.  Landscaping just happens to be a passion of mine, so it made perfect sense to choose this path.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
I have had many very different careers, attended four other colleges, and I excel at entrepreneurship. I am a wife of 26 years, and a mother of two teens, one who is in high school and the other in college.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
My favorite professor so far has to be Matt Mullane, Visiting Assistant Professor in the History of Art and Architecture. The man is a wealth of information.  He’s like a walking encyclopedia set. I never posed a question that he didn’t immediately know the answer to, and not only that, but all kinds of knowledge around it as well.  He even helped me with a project in a different class, where I gave him an obscure bit of info that he taught, but I couldn’t recall. Not only did he help me put the piece in place, but gave me links to more information!

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
So far, I have not had the honor of presenting any works.  I am proud of the fact I received pass with distinction honors in my first two studio classes.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
So far, I’ve learned that I have a lot to learn, and even more to offer. Even though my family has had a lot of ups and downs this past year, I’ve learned that perseverance may be my best quality.

AFTER GRADUATION
When I graduate, my youngest will be out of high school and hopefully enjoying his higher education experience.  My daughter should be enjoying her career with her new degree. And my husband is ready to retire after 35 years in construction management.  My greatest hope is that I find a firm that will send me all over the world to help design projects, and that I will be able to do that with my best buddy and travel companion, my husband.

YOUR GIFT
This scholarship really helps lift the financial burden of putting two people through college simultaneously. It really eases the stresses of working and going to school at the same time.

I am so very grateful for your support.  It will be used wisely to help finance my childhood dream.  I hope to one day be able to pay it forward in some way.