Nico Floresca

Degree: BFA in Product Design, minor in Sports Business

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2022

2021-2022 Scholarship
Peterson Family Scholarship

I Am Originally From Saint Louis, MO

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose the University of Oregon because of the opportunity to join some of the best product design students, educators, and alumni in the country.  My favorite part about the College of Design is that it houses so many facets of creativity, from Art to Architecture, providing constant inspiration with a multitude of resources.

I always generally knew I wanted to join a creative field, as I assumed solving problems by designing creative solutions would allow me to retain a high level of interest and passion for my profession. Initially, my specific major was chosen based on my love for athletic footwear. Growing up playing sports, I began to figure out I was equally as infatuated with the gear worn by athletes as playing the sport itself. It dawned on me that the creation of these objects was a viable and exciting profession, called product design, and subsequently pursued schools offering it as a major.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
Growing up in Saint Louis, the heart of the Midwest, I was able to experience a very different societal culture prior to going to school on the west coast. The blue collar culture that surrounded me in my youth plays an influential role as a designer, particularly the emphasis on providing functionality and practicality in an accessible form. I use this as a driving ethos within my design studies in order to create objects that remain simultaneously familiar and innovative.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
I have had some terrific professors in my time at UO, but in particular Hale Selek and Erdem Selek, Assistant Professors in Product Design, have been extraordinarily influential in my design development, as the two of them have taught the majority of the drawing and studio courses that shaped me into the student I am today.  Hale and Erdem both have a very kind and helpful approach to teaching while remaining constructively critical to push me forward. Tom Bonamici has also been influentia. Hs his passion, experience, and ability to engage student interest is unmatched to any professor I’ve ever had.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I am involved within a two design clubs on campus, Design for America and Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), which have been able to provide me with various skill development projects and professional networking opportunities. I also play intramural sports which helps me stay active and make new connections.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
My most recent studio course was one of the most impactful learning experiences of my education. I designed a collection of clothing that required the most amount of concentrated time and effort I have ever spent on a single project. It pushed me to learn how to navigate my work-life balance so that I was able to create my desired output without (entirely) neglecting my basic physiological and social needs. Despite requiring the most effort, creating this collection was also the most gratifying project I have ever completed because it was the first studio project that intertwined with my long-standing passion for clothing.

AFTER GRADUATION
After graduation I aspire to begin a career in fashion or apparel, specifically within the outdoor or luxury spaces, or preferably somewhere in between the two. My UO Product Design education has given me an excellent foundation for the design process within a variety of different product categories, allowing me to be multifaceted and approach my work more holistically.

YOUR GIFT
This scholarship will give me the increased financial freedom that will allow me to comfortably focus on my design education and professional development in the final year of my BFA. I will also be able to use these funds to invest in resources and materials for projects that will be part of my portfolio, in hopes of securing an exciting job opportunity after graduation.

Thank you very much for this generous scholarship and phenomenal opportunity!  This money will go such a long way in allowing me to learn and grow as a student. Thank you!