Rosanna Steele is the incoming LGBTQ+ Officer for 2025/26, and an undergraduate philosophy student.
We caught up with Rosanna to find out how she found her community at UCL, and what she's looking forward to in her role as a student leader.
Finding a sense of belonging
The most important thing I've learnt throughout my university journey is the importance of friends. They essentially become your second family. I think for me, the personal growth that's come from being at University and getting involved has been immense. I'm living my life in a way that is inspired by what motivates me, what interests me, what I believe in and what I want to push forward in the world. I feel like I have a purpose, and that has genuinely changed my life.
The personal growth that's come from being at University and getting involved has been immense
If you're a new student coming to UCL, I think what I would have wanted to hear is that there is a community here for me. No matter who you are, no matter what you're interested in, there truly is something for everyone.
Creating space for every voice
I think as a queer student coming to university, there's a lot of pressure to sort of have a label you're comfortable with or have a certain way of viewing romantic and sexual relationships, but I think it's important to make it known that it's okay to use this time at University to genuinely just figure out how you feel about yourself, and how you feel about other people. And no matter where you end up at the end of that journey, the community is here for you.
No matter where you end up at the end of that journey, the community is here for you.
I think it was important for me to run to be the LGBTQ+ Officer because the situation for the community at large at the moment, both globally and here in the UK, is in a pretty dire state.
In terms of my next few years at UCL, I think what I'm most looking forward to is making a tangible change in my Student Officer role. There is so much I want to do, and if I can achieve it - which I'm genuinely passionate about doing - I feel like it will be incredible. As an Officer, I feel like there are three broad areas I'd like to focus on. The first is political, centering on using our voice as UCL to try and make political change here in the UK and using collaborative methods across the University of London to try to bring people together, and fight back against some of the issues that are affecting the lives of queer people.
I also think representation is a really big part of my role - I want to make sure I'm representing people in a way that they actually want. So this year, I'm looking to introduce a LGBTQ+ forum so that people can put forward their own experiences, and I can use that to shape my work as an Officer. I also want people to be able to see issues in University and be empowered to take action to fix them, rather than sitting with them.
Making uni yours
I'm also the incoming President of the Climate Action Society, which has been an incredibly special society for me. It's not only an amazing community - we also do such vital and empowering work on climate change. We've been able to work on projects and pass motions that are really powerful - and having that power is something that you can only get in a handful of institutions, and a handful of times in your life.
I think coming to university and having a purpose and engaging in work that is genuinely meaningful, whilst studying a degree that I'm fascinated by, is the best way you can live your life. I have genuinely noticed a massive improvement in my mood, and how I feel day-to-day. That kind of personal growth was something I wasn't expecting coming into University, but it has been profound in the impact that it's had on my life.
I think coming to university and having a purpose and engaging in work that is genuinely meaningful, whilst studying a degree that I'm fascinated by, is the best way you can live your life