BEAU SINCHAI COMMENCEMENT SPEECH
University of Minnesota College of Design Commencement May 18, 2013 Mariucci Arena
“I want to give a shout out to coffee, vending machine, Google, and especially Febreze...that’s for when I don’t have time to shower.”
Beau’s selfie on the stage after giving her speech
Watch Beau Sinchai’s speech on the UMN College of Design’s Youtube page or visit youtu.be/1mCqzeSQw3g
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Good afternoon, everyone! I want to thank all of you who are part of this journey that allow me to be here today. I want to give a shout out to coffee, vending machine, google, and especially febreeze...that’s for when I don’t have time to shower. I came to the United States seven years ago without any knowledge of English language. I was a first-generation high school student, I am now a first generation college student, and soon-to-be a first generation graduate student. 3
My first day
on campus during orientation, I was a clueless freshman that showed up in the wrong room. Once I found the right room, I was late. So, I sat in the back row.
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The Orientation Leader started talking about friendship in college. She told us to look to our left and right, and that they will be the friends we can rely on each other for our 4-year here. Then, I look at my left and right...I realized I was the only one sitting in the back row. At that point, I made my decision that the back row was not the place to be. So, I made effort to join others.
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I was supposed to go to college to become a doctor or engineer, the usual. In the year 2009 when I started college, the American Community Survey reported that Architecture major had the highest unemployment rate; Fine Arts had the second highest unemployment rate. Just imagine how my parents felt when I told them that I was going to school for architecture and art. I want to pursue architecture, but my family wants me to become a doctor or an engineer. I was torn between choosing the “logical path� of becoming a doctor/engineer and choosing to follow my passion.
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“...if there is only one position available for ten thousand architecture graduates, why can’t I be that person who got the job?” Spring Semester of my first year, I registered full-time with engineering courses, but I still keep one architecture class just because I could not let it go.
Doing the design work in that architecture class was the turning point for me that design is the field where I belong.
The job market might be bad, but I know that there must be job somewhere. So, I asked myself that if there is only one position available for ten thousand architecture graduates, why can’t I be that person who got the job? That was the turning point where I started to challenge my own limits and overcame them. Throughout the process, I learned the three most important life lessons from my design degree. 7
First is the Value of Mentorship. I have been supporting myself through college. All I can say is it wasn’t easy to make it through all those year to be where I am now. I was fortunate to have great mentors who guide me along the way. I’ve come pretty far and there is no way that I can do all of this alone. It only took one person to recognize that I have the potential to succeed and to give me a chance to succeed. I want to ask all of you to spare some of your time to help others. Be a mentor, your knowledge and support is the most valuable gift you can give.
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Beau and her mentor, Brenda Kayzar
Beau and her mentee, Ashwuanti
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Second lesson is to do what you love. Follow your heart, it always know what you want to do. John Cuningham, the founder of Cuningham Group told me that “being good is not enough. Your works need to be sexy.” This is not only applicable to the design works, but to everything you are trying to do. If you are able to make people say “wow, that’s really sexy” after they listen to your plan or see your work, you are golden. So, don’t just make good work, make good and sexy work.
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The third lesson is Failure Doesn’t Exist. Like many of our design works, everything that doesn’t work is considered iteration. It is not a failure because you learn from it. All you can do is to keep trying with different solutions until it works. If it still doesn’t work, then you haven’t explored enough. Also, it is ok to fear. Fear of failure is good when you use it to your advantage. It becomes a challenge that measures your ability when you are able to overcome the fear. Success is much more meaningful if you experience the unsuccessful. Many of us know what to do with life after today is over, many of us don’t, and it is perfectly ok if you don’t. Maybe you are struggling with finding jobs, personal life, or applying for graduate schools, not to mention that you have to start paying off your student loans. Just remember that if there are no job openings in the field of your study today, your design education has been preparing you to also succeed elsewhere. All the flowers don’t bloom on the same day, and one day it will be your day. When I was a Community Advisor in Territorial Hall, my supervisor once said
“there are a lot of times that life just doesn’t make sense. All you can do is go to Home Depot, build a bridge, and get over it.” 12
Beau and her supervisor, Brett Chin
“Fear of failure is good when you use it to your advantage.”
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...and then I built my bridge. If a girl, an average girl from a small town in Thailand was able to find her way in a new country, learn a new language, support herself through college, and getting to where she is within seven years...you can too. Thank you!
Beau and the Dean of the College of Design, Thomas Fisher
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Beau is now working on getting her MFA in 3D Design at the Cranbrook Academy of Art (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
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WRITTEN BY BEAU SINCHAI
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LAYOUT BY NAN SINCHAI