Savannah Sinowitz

Degrees: MIArch and MArch

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2023

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

2022-2023 Scholarship
The Fletcher Farr Ayotte Graduate Student Award
RM Tollefson Architecture Scholarship

I Am Originally From Las Vegas, NV

WHY I CAME TO THE UO AND HOW I CHOSE MY MAJOR
I chose to attend the University of Oregon for graduate school because of the college’s undying devotion to our environment. Faculty in the College of Design know that we have a responsibly to our community as designers to understand the effects of our actions environmentally, and they ensure that students who graduate from the design programs are ready to be thoughtful designers. My favorite part of being in the College of Design is the community that’s fostered here. There are so many  groups within the college that are working to connect students to their peers and educators and inspire growth personally and professionally.

I chose to pursue an interiors degree following my undergraduate degree in architecture because I think human scale should be the primary focus of designers. How we interact with our spaces and the direct impact it has on our health and experiences is crucially important to understand. I pursue an architecture degree because these two disciples are so deeply intertwined, I don’t believe that one should be practiced in ignorance of the other. I intend to pursue licensure in both architecture and interiors in order to practice holistic design.

UNIQUE QUALITIES I BRING TO MY STUDIES
I am currently employed with a firm based in Austin, TX called Method Architecture. Method has four offices in Texas, and we specialize in brewery and distillery design. I am very interested in design for fermentation science, and am looking forward to a long career in this field.

MY INFLUENTIAL PROFESSORS
My most influential professors have been Linda Zimmer, Cory Olsen, Esther Hagenlocher and Solmaz Kive. They were very supportive in hard times, especially when we were learning online during the pandemic. These professors made the interiors department feel like a special place where students were able to bond, grow and lean on each other. They foster an environment that I’m grateful to learn in.

MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
I started JGrad in October of 2020, a student group for graduate students that feel a connection to the Jewish heritage. When I first arrived at the UO, I felt a lack of connection to my community, both as a Jewish person and as a student. There was no opportunity for us to meet, as there weren’t any other organizations working to connect graduate students like myself. After creating the group, I served as president for two years, securing one local and one national sponsor. There are now over 30 members, and the group is run by two co-presidents. I am very proud to have created something that has lasted beyond my time and can now be enjoyed by even more graduate students at the UO.

MY GREATEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT UO
The greatest learning experience I’ve had at the UO was completing my comprehensive project in June 2022. Part of the requirement is to turn the thesis into a book that is printed, and it was very gratifying to see a year’s worth of my work turned into a book that was almost 100 pages.

AFTER GRADUATION
I intend to seek licensure as an architect and interior designer. I am hoping to continue to design breweries, distilleries and wineries across the country and internationally. I may even pursue a sommelier certification to learn as much as I can about the fermentation sciences and presentation of wine.

YOUR GIFT
This scholarship is allowing me to continue on into my seventh and final year of architecture school. It has been a long journey that I am thankful is coming to a close soon. Having this support makes it so much more meaningful. I know I have the support of my family, friends and educators, but it also means a lot to have the support of strangers. It’s actually more meaningful to think that you are wanting me to succeed than the people that love me, because you had no obligation to do this for me—I am truly grateful. Thank you for investing in our program and making education possible for students each year.

Seven years of school doesn’t come cheap and it’s been a large financial burden for my family. I’ve worked very hard to stand out as in my academics to ensure that I have the best chance at earning scholarships from generous individuals who are invested in the success of the future generation. For that reason, I’ve held a 4.0 GPA for the last seven years in higher education. Truly, my main motivation in earning perfect grades was to make it to this spot and be able to thank you for your donation, so I am grateful to be writing this to you. I am deeply invested in my education, so I want to thank you for being invested in me.