Finn George

This is a photo of me and my dog Ernie.

Degree: BS, Product Design

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2025

2023 Scholarship
Michael and Stacy Koehn Award

I Am Originally From Oak Park, IL

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose UO because I felt that it was an environment that would help me become an effective designer. Thankfully, the West Coast agrees with me. The collaborative and hands-on approach within the UO College of Design provides real opportunities for artistic growth.

I decided to major in Product Design in the hopes of a career that is full of spontaneity and creativity. I wanted to be able to bring things into the world that made people’s lives easier.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
When I was a freshman in high school I started a small business buying and selling shoes. It provided me with a deeper understanding of the business world, whilst exposing me to a wide variety of customers. Running my own business informed my unique understanding of the intersection between passion and profit.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
The most influential professors I’ve had at UO are Tom Bonamici and Trygve Faste. Their commitment to the program, and design itself, has helped me to grow in my ability to apply technical skills to the projects I enjoy the most.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I’ve played lacrosse since the sixth grade and joined the UO Men’s Lacrosse team during my freshman year at UO. Even though I only spent a season as a member of the program, the connections I made are long-lasting. Playing lacrosse taught me to value community and dedication. These are skills I try to apply in my work and daily life.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
When I came to UO, with the intention of studying Product Design, my biggest fear was my inability to draw. I’ve always preferred to build out my ideas with physical materials. I’ve always struggled to communicate my ideas on paper and felt it could really hold me back within the Design School. After two years in design-based drawing classes –– I can now confidently draw in perspective. I now have the ability to quickly express my ideas on the page.

AFTER GRADUATION
After I graduate from UO, I hope to apply my degree to a career in either fashion or furniture design. I want to make people’s lives more beautiful. Whether that’s through creating the clothes they wear or the ways they decorate their homes. I want to create a legacy of lasting and functional pieces.

YOUR GIFT
This funding is providing me with the financial backing to pursue my real passions: shoes, upcycling, and design. The award will help me purchase tools that elevate my production capacity. My first purchase?  An industrial sewing machine. A tool that will allow me to produce quality pieces exponentially faster than before.

Thank you for this amazing opportunity to grow and explore my passions! I’m excited to hit the ground running with my new business as I make the most of the money I’ve been fortunate enough to receive.