German Society: Welfare Officer

Hiii Leuteeeee!!!

My name is Aleyna , I was born and raised in Berlin and I am studying Politics and International Relations here at UCL. I really want to become a more active part of this society, get to know more people and build a stronger bond with the German community away from home; which is why I am nominating myself for the position of welfare officer. Here are some of my ideas...

1. Monthly Welfare Recommendations - Recommending science-backed activities for better mental health, to remind us all to take care ourselves, especially during stressful times!
2. Frequent Anonymous Feedback Forms - I want to give everyone the chance to express concerns or recommend improvements, to ensure you are happy with this community!
3. Social Events - I would like to coordinate with the director of social events to plan more get-togethers to create a stronger community and make socializing and finding like-minded friends more easily!
4. Resource Spreadsheet -  I will create a document available to all members, in which you can find different resources for accessing help at UCL, whether it is counseling, finding housing or managing finance, making it easier to find help for your specific needs!
5. Personal Communication - I will be available to address your worries or your struggles privately, just text me on WhatsApp!

As the welfare officer of last year, I am nominating myself to support the German Society: if there are any other nominees, I will gladly support their nomination. I myself struggled this year, especially with balancing my lab-based dissertation and my mental health, and did not fulfill my role as welfare officer as well as I wanted to. 

I was often in the lab until late at night. I struggled with feeling I was not doing enough. I stopped reaching out to friends because I felt I wasn't doing enough if I wasn't working. But all the experiences that I had this year showed me that mental health resources are understaffed and we need better. I tested helplines, such as UCL's 24/7 hotline in the middle of the day, only to find that after waiting almost an hour, there was no response. This made me realize that if I am re-elected as welfare officer next year, I severely need to increase my outreach efforts, and reaffirm that if anyone is struggling, they can always reach out to me, and I will try my best to help and be a listening ear, and then direct you to the appropriate services. However, I recognize that these services often include a long wait: I waited for UCL's service, and ended up working with their partner service, ProblemShared, because UCL's own therapists did not have availability. I am more than happy to even just sit with you if you ever feel alone and need support as you're waiting. My line's always open :)

~Alisa, 4th year MSci Medical Science & Engineering