Yaw Agyemang

This photo was taken of me when I was out with my friends doing a photoshoot on the trail that leads to Autzen. It’s a rare photo of me because I’m normally the person behind the camera.

Degree: BFA, Product Design

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2020 

I’m From: Portland, Oregon

Why I Came to the UO and How I Chose My Major
I chose the University of Oregon because it was close to home and it also offered the Product Design program that I was very interested in. I also grew up being a fan of Oregon sports teams so being apart of something I grew up being a fan of whilst being able to pursue a major that fit my natural skills was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

The thing I like the most about the College of Design is how small the community is. It’s been amazing to grow with the small group of people in the department. Compared to other majors with large classes, having such a small group of people allows for really close personal connections and relationships.

If I remember correctly, the Product Design major was suggested to me by my mentor while I was in high school. At that time I had no idea that design was even a career choice. I knew I was a hands-on person and I enjoyed creating things, taking things apart, and simply admired how things looked and worked. I was good at math so my mom would always suggest I be an engineer and I agreed with her initially. But later on, I began to learn about Product Design and I knew that’s exactly what I wanted to do. To my surprise, the University of Oregon offered a design program and I knew instantly that’s what I wanted to do.

Unique Qualities I Bring to My Studies
I can think of two things.First is simply being a curious kid growing up. I remember always tinkering with things. One of my favorite pass times was to grab a screwdriver and find the nearest thing to take apart and then try and put it back together. I was also always into art (and creative things in general) growing up. I even remember having a notebook of car drawings in elementary school that later evolved into a sketchbook of shoe drawings in high school. And to this day I haven’t lost my curiosity to find out how things work and I’ve continued to use sketchbooks to put my thoughts on paper. Being curious and sketching are things I will never get tired of, and I have only grown to enjoy them more because of school.

Second is soccer. I’ve played soccer since I could walk and it has taught be a multitude of life lessons. But one of those lessons is something I didn’t realize until later on, and that is my appreciation for how products like my soccer cleats, soccer balls, and jerseys enable me and other athletes to participate at the highest level. I’ve always appreciated how I felt when I got a new pair of soccer cleats that made me perform better. And little did I know back then, I got that feeling because a designer did their job well. So now in design school, I’m always thinking about the positive impact a well thought out design can have on individuals.

My Influential Professors
The professor that instantly pops into my head is Trygve Faste. I’ve taken 3 drawing classes with him, and I can comfortably say he’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever met and been taught by. I’ve learned so much from him and its a huge honor that I was lucky enough to take 3 classes with him. His classes aren’t easy but that only pushed me to get better. The things I’ve learned from his classes are things I know I will use for the rest of my life. Not only did I learn a lot from his class, he was also the first professor from the department I had a class with. Trygve is such a patient easy-going professor and as a freshman in college, that’s one of the best things to have. He made my first year more enjoyable and less scary.

My Extracurricular Activities
I participate in intramural soccer which is always fun because I’ve played soccer all my life. I considered joining the men’s club soccer team but that was a big time commitment that didn’t mesh well with the demanding course work from the Product Design major.

My Greatest Learning Experience at UO
My greatest learning experience I’ve had so far was from my hardest term. Spring 2019 was hands down the hardest term I’ve had in college. I was in 3 Product Design studios plus another design lecture class. To add on, those 3 studios were some of the most challenging studios in our department. Our department recommends people only take 2 studios at the most because of the amount of course work. But I took them to make sure I stayed on track to graduate with a BFA degree.

Yes, that was a hard term but I learned so much about myself. Finishing that term on the Dean’s List only proved to me that I was able to handle an extreme amount of high-level and demanding work whilst being able to produce high-quality work. My time management skills were put to the test as well as my ability to handle stress. Being able to survive that term taught me I’m able to handle anything that college and life can throw at me.

After Graduation
Design, in general, is a pretty open-ended career and I could end up in so many different places and I find that exciting! I applied to the design program with a dream to work at Nike. Working at Nike would be a huge accomplishment. But while in design school my dreams have grown. Since freshman year I’ve been working on my own clothing brand. I’ve been chipping away at it ever since. So to be able to graduate and use the things I’ve learned from school to grow my brand would be absolutely amazing.

Your Gift
This Scholarship is so important to me. This scholarship will give me the financial freedom this school year to take my projects to a level I haven’t been able to before. It  will also relieve a lot of financial stress, which will also translate to be being able to produce better school work.

I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I want you to know that receiving this scholarship has only motivated me to work harder in school! I hope I can show you that you made the right decision in choosing me for this scholarship. I want to make you proud. I will forever be grateful and in the future,  if I’m able to do the same for a kid in the Product Design program, I will in a heartbeat. The feeling of someone investing in your future is something I want someone else to experience. Thank you!