Hear from Serena, our current Students' Union President, about her experiences, the role and what it entails.
Hello, I’m Serena, to some Serena-Amani. I’m currently the President of your Students’ Union – and as of January I’m officially an Interational Relations graduate!
What led you to campaign for your position?
I decided to run because honestly, I’d complain about a lot, but never opted to help change things and well now I’m in a position with an electoral mandate (thanks to all my voters) to change things...
What is something unexpected/surprising you've experienced about being an Exec?
I think the most surprising thing has been getting in the swing of a job so quickly... Taking on the Presidency seemed like a huge task – with the endless meetings, reading papers, projects, stakeholder management, external relations (the list does go on) - but somehow, I’m used to it? And enjoying it...
What's a piece of advice you'd give to someone applying for an Exec position?
- Just go for it! The thought of running is much scarier than actually running.
- Make your manifesto, plan your campaign and win that role!
- No matter how little experience you think you might have – you will be nurtured into the job and learn an insane amount whilst doing it.
- The only requirement is that you’re a student – so you literally cannot be underqualified.