What year did you nominate yourself? 2019/21

What did you study? History

Why did you decide to nominate yourself to be a Student Officer? I decided to run for President as I had believed I could do a good job at it.

What was running in the Elections like? Running in the election was one of my favourite experiences at University. It was tough but exciting at the same time.  

Is there anything you wish you’d know before you ran in the Election I had wished I knew how many University Committees I was required to sit on.

Highlights during your time as an Officer? One of my proudest achievements during my time as Guild President was renaming a Halls of Residence in Greenbank. We now celebrate Dorothy Kuya, who was a Human Rights Activist from Liverpool after years of campaigning and lobbying, from previous students and Guild officers. As Guild President, I was able to sit at various senior committees at the University. I was able to advocate for racial equality at the highest level, which allowed me to gain experience working in, equity, diversity & inclusion (DEI).

What are you doing now? Currently, I am the DEI Co-Ordinator at Goldman Sachs. I support the running of anti-racism training in the UK and US, Global promotions programmes for women and the development of a new digital inclusion course at the firm.

How has being a Student Officers impacted your future? Becoming President gave me a boost in confidence in both my working and personal life. I had gained valuable experiences in leadership, lobbying, communications and more.  

Any advice for people thinking of running: My advice to potential Student Officers in elections week is to look after yourself because it is such a stressful week. Make sure you’re eating, sleeping, looking after yourself and you take plenty of breaks. Also, just go for it! I know that’s contradictory but you won’t ever get another chance like it and it’s such a good experience. Even if you don’t win, you still get a lot from it, a lot of skills and you can still use that experience when looking for a job. You can always try again next year – provided you’re not in your final year!

What year did you nominate yourself? first nominated in 2018

What did you study? Psychology

Why did you decide to nominate yourself to be a Student Officer? I wanted to directly influence university policy.

What was running in the Elections like? It was definitely a unique experience. Co-ordinating a team of my friends and planning an election campaign was a new challenge but I enjoyed it. Election week itself was a quite whirlwind. I spent days running around campus canvassing anyone and everyone… I don’t think I’ll ever speak to that many people in the space of a week again!

Is there anything you wish you’d know before you ran in the Election? Despite its confusing name, Liverpool Guild of Students is a union first and foremost, so it’s important to view the Student Officer role as a political position in which you are held accountable and are responsible for representing students - it’s not just a graduate job. Make sure you understand the struggles of other unions on campus too, such as the UCU who are due to strike in February and March!

How has being a student officer impacted your future? Student Officers have a really wide range of responsibilities so you’re forced to learn pretty quickly. From public speaking and co-ordinating student activists to navigating university committees and understanding higher education policy, it’s a role that helps you develop all kinds of useful skills.

What was a highlight from your time as an Officer? Our Fossil Free campaign win will always be my highlight. We successful campaigned for the University to stop investing millions of pounds into fossil fuel companies and they committed to fossil fuel divestment in their Ethical Investment Policy!

What are you doing now? I am a Programme Officer at a national charity.  

Any advice for people thinking of running: Once elected, you have a mandate and commitment to campaign on the issues you ran on during the election so make sure you run on policies you genuinely care about and will improve the University of Liverpool for its students.

What year did you nominate yourself? first nominated in 2020

What did you study? History and Sociology

Why did you decide to nominate yourself to be a Student Officer? I'd always had an interest in the role, but the positive encourage and the "Go for it!" attitude during the Student Leaders Conference motivated me to nominate myself, and I'm so glad it did!

What was running in the Elections like? Absolutely mad and so full on! Each day is so busy but getting out on campus and talking to students is so rewarding. I learnt so many skills and gained so much insight and experiences in a short amount of time.

Is there anything you wish you’d know before you ran in the Election? Remember to plan ahead! Even if it's just having an idea of how you'd like to campaign and where, brainstorming ideas of social media posts or even just meal prepping to get you through the week nourished.

How has being a student officer impacted your future? Through running and being an Officer, i developed a passion for the student movement and want to continue working to improve the student voice and experience.

What was a highlight from your time as an Officer? There are so many, but I particularly enjoyed getting to connect with so many students, smashing some manifesto promises and working in a collaborative way with fellow Officers and Guild staff everyday was so rewarding.

What are you doing now? I work for NUS Charity as a Development Consultant - basically I look after Student Unions across Wales with their Unions' and Officers' development.

Any advice for people thinking of running: Go for it! I was really on the fence, thinking "Ohh that's for other, more confident people" but it's not, anyone can run a personalised successful campaign. Even if you're not elected, the experience of running is so challenging, rewarding and you learn so many new skills quickly!

What year did you nominate yourself? Elected in 2020 and 2021

What did you study? Politics

Why did you decide to nominate yourself to be a Student Officer? After the 2019 general election, I felt incredibly frustrated at the direction our country was going at and often felt very powerless. I could see there was a lot of stuff at University that desperately needed changing such as better support for sexual violence survivors and the cost of student rents. I believed that running for student officer would provide that space for change and influence in making life better for students!

What was running in the Elections like? It was incredibly scary at first and I knew I was stepping out of my comfort zone, however it was such an amazing experience once I got into it! It really boost my confidence and also helped me develop a variety of skills.

Is there anything you wish you’d know before you ran in the Election? It is a very tiring week so getting as much rest and breaks in as possible is necessary!

How has being a student officer impacted your future? I loved being a student officer and made me inspired and confident enough to want to make more change at a national level; leading to me running for and getting elected as Vice President for NUS!

What was a highlight from your time as an Officer? winning millions of pounds back in students pockets after we ran Refund the Rent during COVID where we campaigned for the University to not charge students for accommodation which they weren’t occupying due to lockdown.

What are you doing now? Vice President for Higher Education of the National Union of Students and also the Chair of NUS UK board

Any advice for people thinking of running: It doesn’t matter if this is the first time you have done something like this or you don’t think you fit into the stereotypical image of a leader, everyone has something unique they can bring to the Guild officer team!

What year did you nominate yourself? 2016

What did you study? Mathematical Physics with a Semester in China and a Semester in Industry

Why did you decide to nominate yourself to be a Student Officer? I wanted to make a difference. That’s a bit naff-sounding, I know, but it’s true. There were some common, small-ish things I thought students were ignored about.
I wasn’t massively involved with the Guild but had been involved in charity fundraising and wanted to do some new stuff on campus. I met some barriers to doing this and, when I asked how to overcome then, one suggestion was ‘Why not become President?’. So I did.

What was running in the Elections like? One of the steepest learning experiences I ever had, but also steeped in fun! It meant getting to chat with so many people across the university and hear a wide variety of experiences. It was also an experience of humility and gratitude; having people willing to support what I was standing for and help me achieve it.

Is there anything you wish you’d know before you ran in the Election? Find out what campaigning activities come most easily to you. I was rubbish at social media so enlisted some pals who weren’t. Whereas I found the most effective way to get votes was to have as many conversations as possible. There is a lot more to it than delivering manifesto promises.
I hadn’t realised just how much development I would gain from the Guild.
Oh, and they’re not lying – you really do get put in charge of the Guild!

How has being a student officer impacted your future? It guided me from a degree in mathematical physics to learning about policy and campaigns, which set me on track for wanting to effect change in new ways. It also gave me the best education in appreciating the diversity of communities. It allowed me to contribute to things beyond the typical education and experience of someone my age at the time. Leading the Guild meant I picked up skills in finance, law, business, public speaking... the list of things I owe it could go on.

What was a highlight from your time as an Officer? Winning Asylum Seekers Scholarships was a top highlight.
Beyond specific wins, it really was a joy going to work in the Guild every day. There would always be a new stall on the street, a new sound from upstairs, a new smell from the kitchens, and a new student to support.

What are you doing now? Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer at the charity School Food Matters. Most of what I do is trying to convince the government to feed the kids and feed them better. Surely an easy argument to win…

Any advice for people thinking of running: Do it! You will meet some incredible people and learn all sorts of new skills. If you don’t like it, you can stop, but you have to be in it to work that out.
Start speaking to your friends now, people on your course, people in societies and teams. See what they think and what they would like to see.
For the election week: drink lots of water, guarantee yourself some rest, but remember there are always more votes to be gained.

What year did you nominate yourself? 2014

What did you study? International Politics and Policy

Why did you decide to nominate yourself to be a Student Officer? I had a rough time in my first year of uni, struggling with my mental health & very nearly dropped out. BUT I came back in second year and forced myself to join a society. It took a while but it was ace – I made loads of friends and it really helped my wellbeing. I wanted to help raise the profile of the Guild, its societies and activities to make sure that other students didn’t miss out on what it has to offer.

What was running in the Elections like? I won’t lie, it was a tough week! Early starts and late finishes. I was nervous about doing announcements in lectures but another candidate was really kind and offered to do it with me the first time! It was such a nice cohort of candidates running together – we had a great time and it was fun chatting to students! Having my mates around campaigning with me was just the best.

Is there anything you wish you’d know before you ran in the Election? Batch cook your meals that week & remember to eat! Lecture announcements are the best way to reach most people. Get a t-shirt that’s a bit bigger so you can wear it over a coat or jumper when it’s chilly. Perfect your spiel before the campaign – nothing worse that starting to talk and floundering.

How has being a student officer impacted your future? Being an officer was a genuinely transformative experience, and there’s no way I would have aimed as high as I have in my career without it. It gave me loads of confidence and taught me how to network and influence. It taught me how to advocate for people who are most excluded (i.e. giving up my platform, and giving it to them!); and how to be in a room and talk to people who hold lots of power. I’ve since worked with the Royal Households (including the now King!), the Archbishop of Canterbury, with the media and celebrities, and my experience at the Guild totally helped me just be cool with it!

What was a highlight from your time as an Officer? I loved making campaigns for change – starting ‘Call It Out’ – an anti-harassment campaign was one of my favs, I was supported by the Guild staff to be super creative. I also (maybe more of the nerd in me) loved influencing university policies and practice. It felt like a massive privilege to communicate what students were feeling to people making decisions about their lives. It was super vital and resulted in lots of decisions changing, being better, or not being made at all in some cases! One of my ultimate highlights is that I’ve made friends for life with the people who were officers with me - they’re all coming to my wedding this year, and one of them is even officiating it.

What are you doing now? I’m currently Head of Partnerships and Development at a youth charity called Young Manchester.

Any advice for people thinking of running: People remember slogans and puns! Try and find something funny/ clever that works with your name to help people remember it. I obvs went with the Sims connection (aka The Sims 3 computer game). I hung cardboard Sims diamonds/ plumbobs off trees around campus – people remembered physical things too! Nurture your networks – start talking about why your running to your mates and contacts early so they buy into your ideas and your campaign. Having friends and connections in lots of different clubs and societies willing to advocate for me when I wasn’t there was a huge help.