Zachary Smith

This is a photo of me teaching a student at Lane Community College the beginnings of wheel throwing. I’m the one on the left on the stool, pointing fingers and such.

Degree: BFA, Ceramics

Expected Graduation Date: June 2022

I’m From: Eugene, OR

Why I Came to the UO and How I Chose My Major
I chose the UO for mostly practical and logistical reasons. I earned a transfer degree from LCC many years ago, which limited the colleges I could choose from to pursue higher education. My family and I live in Eugene, so attending UO made sense. I think what has been both expected and has surprised me the most about being in the College of Design is just how much I’m enjoying the new challenges going back to school has presented.

I’ve been a potter for many years and have worked for a few local potters. What I found that I enjoy the most is teaching people the skills that I’ve acquired, and engendering a love for clay and art in others. Part of the process of being able to do that in a semi-sustainable way is to get a BFA and then an MFA, so that I can teach at the college level.

Unique Qualities I Bring to My Studies
I’ve run my own business in construction, among many other jobs. I think the most important thing that I’ve brought, being the slightly older person that I am, is the ability to knuckle down and dedicate my full attention to what is at hand. My professors can attest, I’m not distractable at all.

My Influential Professors
I’ve been really impressed by the care and attention I’ve received from all my professors at UO. I might be operating at an advantage, being a little older and a little more mature than the average. I’ve been able to create really edifying and useful relationships with my ceramic professors, in particular Brian Gillis and Stacy Jo Scott.

My Greatest Learning Experience at UO
Taking art history classes has been my greatest learning experience, starting from the classical period, moving into the 18th century and going sequentially through to the modern era has been extremely interesting, and highlighted an area of interest that I didn’t even know I cared about.

After Graduation
My next step is to earn an MFA where I’m able to teach while attending. I’m shooting for a few, and we’ll see where I hit, but Cooper Union is at the top of my list.

Your Gift
This scholarship is a sign that the selection committee saw something of interest in my work and my story.

A gift given without the expectation of recompense, a truly charitable act, is a very rare thing in our world. Thank you for choosing to help me, and other students like me in the past and the future.  Thank you!