Sree Sanakkayala has left an influential mark on the Students’ Union as President of one of the Engineering Society, one of our largest departmental societies. We caught up with Sree to ask him some questions about how the society has grown this year...
How long have you been President of the Engineering Society?
I have been the President for an academic year. I decided to go for it because I had many ideas about the makings of a great society. The ideas could be read in my manifesto during elections. I aimed to accomplish them all as promised.
How many members do you have?
858!
If you had to sum up the Engineering Society in three words, what would they be?
All-time greatest!
What kind of events have you held this year?
Some of the most memorable ones were the simplest ones. The games night at the beginning of the year was fantastic because it was just a eat, hangout and chill session as opposed to a highly scheduled event. The career fair was amazing as well because it was a fully student-led event for students and employers. The chill setting allowed for more of a casual environment, and it is just the beginning of something big for next year. (Can't reveal too much ?).
Tell us about the Engineering Coalition... what is it?
The Engineering Coalition is the silk road for engineering related societies at UCL. It allows for quick communication and collaboration between the societies to provide opportunity and aid for all.
What have you learnt about yourself from being President? And what skills have you developed?
I've learnt more about working with a team to execute an extremely ambitious vision. The three keys to success are: 1. need a extremely dedicated team 2. need a very focused strategy for the year and it needs to be communicated well to everyone 3. data is becoming the most valuable resource on earth, so we were collecting it all year around to get deeper insight to member behaviour. The main skills I've learned this year have to do with optimising these keys to success such as networking, public speaking, efficient communication, etc.
What else do you have planned for the rest of the year?
We have the Engineering Ball on the 27th! It is the pinnacle of our hard work this year - so we are going to party it out!!
What makes the Engineering Society so great?
Its vision and its execution. We've established a 5-year plan for the society, and big things are coming...