Savannah Sinowitz

Degree: MIArch and MArch

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2023

Prior Degree
Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

2021-2022 Scholarship
Donna V. Sundberg Scholarship in Architecture
F.F. Farm Scholarship
Gunilla K. Finrow Excellence in Interior Architecture Scholarship
Schroeder Family Scholarship in Architecture

I Am Originally From Las Vegas, NV

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose the University of Oregon because of their outstanding commitment to sustainable design. The faculty truly care about our environment and the effects we have as building designers. The environmental problem is always reflected in our design work, but our understanding goes far beyond green-washing. We are truly taught what makes a design environmentally and socially sustainable, and that is priceless for someone who is pursuing LEED accreditation. The University of Oregon is the perfect place for a designer who is committed to health and well-being of users and the planet.

I chose to pursue a graduate degree in both architecture and interior architecture because I believe so deeply that the two disciplines go hand in hand. I would like to become licensed in both fields and work to design healthy, functional spaces for the healthcare and hospitality sectors. I chose this path because we are all building users, and we are all effected by the choices that the designers make for us, so I would like to be a part of the decision making process that affects us all.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
Before I started my degree programs at the University of Oregon, I was recognized as a stand-out student at Texas A&M University. I graduated summa cum laude in 2020 with a four-year degree in architecture. I had previously been awarded the Outstanding Junior of the Year (2019) and Dean’s Excellence Award Winner (2018) for the College of Architecture. I was also named the Panhellenic Woman of the Year by Texas A&M Panhellenic and my sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi, in which I was a chartering sister and served two terms as Vice President of Recruitment. I was also heavily involved with an organization called BUILD where I served as a Student Supervisor and later a member of the Command team. BUILD is a student group that recruits over 2,000 volunteers in a campus-wide community service project to construct five medical clinics every fall semester to serve international communities that lack access to medical care. Professionally, I was a part of the esteemed MGM Resorts Hospitality Internship Program in 2018 in Las Vegas, and in 2019 I interned with an interior architecture firm in London for five months.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
I am looking forward to developing greater working relationships with my faculty at the University of Oregon when we return to in-person courses in the fall, but I did have a very influential mentor at Texas A&M. I elected to take George Mann’s healthcare studio for two semesters during my senior year. I knew his class was going to be incredibly difficult, and it was known among the students as the most time consuming, with students in the studio working almost every night. However, once I got to know George, I found that I was in the studio each night, but only because he fostered an incredible studio environment in which we could depend on him and one another. His studio was in fact difficult, but incredibly engaging. He scheduled us to travel to major cities and present our work to real firms in healthcare, while also showing us that having fun and being explorative are just as important as getting our work done. He became one of my greatest mentors, helping me with graduate school applications, celebrating my birthday, and having studio dinners at Olive Garden. I still talk to George very often, and I believe that every twenty-something should have a person in their late eighties to help guide them through college. Truly, George made my terminal year in architecture the most rewarding.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
In graduate school at the University of Oregon, I found that there was a disconnect between the needs of Jewish graduate students and available resources to support them. Prior to my enrollment at UO, there was really no space for Jewish graduates to gather for Jewish holidays, meet others in their community, or find a support network. Within a few weeks of beginning school, I created an organization called JGrad that works to fulfill the needs of the community. Today, we have secured funding with two parent organizations and have over 50 members on record. I currently serve as the President and am looking forward to what the next year will bring. I also hold two jobs within the School of Architecture as a recruiter for the architecture and interiors programs and as the graduate assistant in the Material Resource Center.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
The greatest learning experience I have had at UO so far has been in the furniture studio course with Cory Olsen, Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture. It is rare in architecture school to get to zoom into the details so intently and truly consider craft of built work in a different lens of function. I feel that this experience is very unique to UO and has truly made me a more thoughtful designer of detailing.

AFTER GRADUATION
I hope that after graduation I find a job that makes me feel fulfilled. Above anything else, I just want to be happy and architecture and design does that for me. I’d love to work with a group of people who are inspiring and want to make our spaces engaging and purposeful for users. Eventually, I see myself working as the VP of Design for a large company with an in-house design team because I so value getting to work with others outside of the design discipline. I know that earning both a Masters in Architecture and Interior Architecture at the UO will set me up for success in this regard.

YOUR GIFT
Academic excellence is incredibly important to me. I work very hard to earn the best grades so that I am eligible for scholarships to fund my education. I graduated Texas A&M with a 3.97, and currently hold a 4.12 at the UO. I am completely devoted to my education, and I cannot express my gratitude for the people who invest in the success of students. I know that one day I will be able to do the same and continue the legacy of supporting students who need it as you have done for me. I am so grateful to you.

I am so proud to be the person that continues the legacy of your name through education. I don’t take scholarships lightly, and I understand how much you must care about education to make this difference for someone you don’t know, and your selflessness does not go unrecognized. Thank you.