Hello, my name is Alicia and I am your SU Rep (Governance) for 26/27. I’m excited to get stuck in, and I am very ambitious for this union. I know our students are incredibly diverse, lots of us don’t fit the stereotypes and have faced all sorts of interesting journeys to get here. As a mature student in my 40s, and as a disabled queer single mum, I know this first hand. I also know that this is our strength as a student community – whether you are away from home for the first time, finding your feet in a new country, or somebody working towards a career change at your local uni, this university changes lives and our students all have wonderful things to add to our community.
This ambition and affection for the Union is why I plan to insist on radical transparency. Students deserve the respect of knowing what their Union is doing, even if that isn’t always just a list of successes. This Union belongs to students, and I believe that students need to feel empowered and informed. All I ask is that you get involved if and when you can. This might be as simple as coming along to an event or voting in an election, or you might decide to run a society, shape a campaign or challenge us on a decision. We need you to make this Union somewhere that every student truly belongs.
When I’m not working at the Students' Union, I’m a student on the Applied Community and Social Care course. I also have a few roles, paid and unpaid, across social justice, politics and policy. I’m a massive governance geek so I am really enjoying all the paperwork of this role, but I know it can be a bit dry and intimidating, so if you have any questions about how things work, I’m happy to explain. I really want to make the processes of the Union more accessible so that everyone feels confident in raising issues.
I do also have a life 😊. I love live music and performance, and you will often find me at a gig or show. I have been involved in some way in the Preston music and arts scene for over 20 years, and I am so proud of my city. My first full time job was in The Harris library, and I am always happy to recommend cafes, pubs and other parts of Preston. I’m also excited to get to know the other campuses and represent the students across our university. I know that students on the other campuses sometimes feel ignored and I want to change that.
I’m also really looking forward to working with the wider student movement. I’m already involved with the NUS Liberation Collective as well as independent disabled students’ networks, and I’m determined to make sure our students have a voice in the national conversation.
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