Why join the SAF?

During my undergraduate degree, I had a passion for student voices and concerns!

This led me to join the universities student ambassador forum, in the second year I was elected vice-president of the SAF (2019).

I took this as a learning opportunity, one for me to understand the requirements of leadership, and adapt and grow in preparation for my next challenge.

In the Autumn of 2020, I wanted to test myself and create a unique environment for all students on campus. I set up my campaign and ran as President which resulted in my election!

My first year as president was not the easiest it was also the year in which COVID-19 had the strongest impact on student life. It consisted of ensuring the safety of all students while maintaining student life (remotely).

This year tested my logistical skills and innovative problem solving, with a strong team we managed to pull off a great semester.

In 2021, we were all able to return to campus and slowly and safely start getting back to “normal”. I pondered if I should run again, but my drive and ambition paved the way for me to become the first student to be elected consecutively to represent the student body as president.

In my second term, as president, I felt the need to play “catch up” with all the moments most students had lost through COVID with a strong team and a great student body the forum managed to breathe life back onto the campus. We organised multiple events that were focused on socialising, mental health, personal development, career opportunities and more!

For each campaign, I had a brilliant support team who helped me film, edit and most importantly the campaign! Thank you for your support, Nathalie Jonsson and Mariean Vaughan Vasquez!

My Journey

For this term, my team of 45 members and I did our very best to ensure we returned to “normal” as safely and quickly as possible.

As president, I felt more comfortable as this was my second term however, I still had to work on my organisational and leadership skills. With this also being my final year at university, a large portion of my energy and time needed to be devoted to my thesis project.

Finding the balance, between university work, the SAF, other extracurricular’s and the social aspects of life was a challenge.

One I am proud to say I was able to master with the support of a great team, resulting in weekly excursions and over 15 events held over 18 weeks.

September 2021 - January 2022

Towards the end of 2020, I was elected to represent the SHMS-IHTTI student body as president of the SAF.

With a team of 23 other students, we took on the challenge to represent the student's voice!

Due to the effects of the pandemic, this was a unique semester in which we had multiple intakes and a large number of remote students.

Some events that were organised by the SAF included:

• Aperol Welcome

• Speed Dating Icebreaker

• Mental Health Workshop

• Virtual Market place

• Yoga

The team also introduced the following new initiatives:

1. Weekly newsletter

2. Humans of SHMS-IHTTI (Showcasing the stories of the students on campus)

3. Weekly Motivational Quotes

September 2020 - January 2021

September 2019 - January 2020

This was one of the most transformative years of my degree. With the merger of SHMS & IHTTI, I was in a new place with new people and new systems of working.

This is also partly what inspired me to run for president. It would allow me to aid in the transition between the two schools and to create a new campus that was truly representative of the now, new student body.

Although I did not get elected as president for this year, I was elected as vice-president and now as I look back on this experience it was a blessing-in-disguise.

It allowed me to slowly be introduced into the more senior positions within the SAF at a crucial time, I was perfectly positioned to learn from the current president and to absorb as much information while supporting where possible!