Nominations: Nominations closed
Voting: Voting closed
Election
Category
Candidates
Chenchen Zhao
What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
My main goal is to make you feel more involved at UCL during the pandemic and not hesitate to reach out when help is needed. I WILL:
1. Make the welfare service more approachable, by starting an ins account for easier communication & faster response. As for now, check my personal account @fleissig_hugo for more.
2. Collect and integrate all types of support being offered in UCL and simplify the help-seeking process such as EC application.
3. Organise more community-based events & introduce more student discounts, so that you can be more engaged without breaking the bank!
What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
I am a very easy-going and wholesome person that enjoys supporting my community. I will bring CARING and RESPONSIVENESS to my role, so that you can approach me and share your needs easily. My experience as a HALL REP in Year 1 and the WELFARE OFFICER for Dance Society in Year 2 has taught me how to interact with students from different cultural backgrounds both in person and online. Most importantly, I understand the hesitation you may have when seeking for help, and do not worry, I WILL REACH OUT.
Please summarise why students should vote for you.
As an international undergraduate student enrolled in 2019, I have experienced UCL life in the pre and post-pandemic environments, both in London and back home online. Thus, I am aware of the many challenges we face, and the difficulties we encounter when seeking for help. My personal university experience has not been the best because of Covid and that is the reason why I want to become your next Welfare Officer and improve the university environment we share. Hopefully, with my efforts, you can enjoy being a part of UCL a bit more!
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Muhammad Umair Mehmood
What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
- Tackle recent racial and racist abuse against students to ensure they are in a protected environment.
- Make guaranteed accommodation scheme more clear to freshers, structuring it by budget and location.
- Expand the horizons of the disabilities support network by introducing more sports initiatives and getting more students and staff involved in decision making.
- Emphasize a sense of welfare and community in the recruitment of new staff members.
- Quarterly feedback from students on the performance of Sabbs and Union itself.
What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
Being a staunch believer in collaboration, I was honored to become the Transition Mentor at this prestigious institute. This opportunity allowed me to carry on the tasks which provided me a sense of purpose, helping everyone around to achieve their potential, especially in nerve-racking situations. Mental Health is at the heart of UCL’s philosophy & that is what motivated me to contest for Welfare Officer in Pakistan Society twice, bagging even more votes the second time. Serving three other societies as a senior committee member helped me polish my leadership skills.
Please summarise why students should vote for you.
My transformation journey began when I lost 60 kgs in school; it hasn’t stopped since. I know I’m not the only one. I intend to continue working with the welfare and community zone to ensure mental health remains a forefront priority as we navigate a challenging & unpredictable world. I will integrate values of integrity and inclusivity in the decisions I make and try my best to ensure each student realizes their potential to the fullest. I am keen to introduce a range of schemes designed to ease the transition for new students and support existing students.
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Daria Duda
What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
If elected, I will make sure that UCL’s commitment to its students’ wellbeing is not merely performative, but includes real material and policy support, streamlined towards marginalised and minority students. Supporting communities should start with tangible actions instead of placating statements, which is why I will campaign for UCL to rejoin Stonewall and take a firmly pro-Palestine stance. Furthermore, I will fully support UCL’s workers’ disputes, since I believe that the students’ welfare and learning conditions are intimately linked with UCL’s working conditions.
What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
I come from an activist background, having been involved in LGBTQ+ rights movements in Poland since I was 16. Recently, I was involved in student organising at UCL, namely the Rejoin Stonewall and UCU strikes student support campaigns. I’ve also held multiple representative roles, currently being Women’s Rep for the LGBTQ+ Student’s Network, as well as Course Rep and LGBTQ+ Rep in my departmental EDI Comittee. As a queer woman and an international student, I know first-hand how alienating and dismissive UCL can be as an institution and I'm fully committed to changing that.
Please summarise why students should vote for you.
As your Community & Welfare Officer, I’m going to fight for UCL to truly and tangibly support its students, instead of financially exploiting them and disregarding their welfare.
I’m also running as a part of a slate of student organizers determined to work towards a radically caring university, seriously committed to supporting its students and workers.
If you want to see UCL transformed, vote for me and my colleagues: Mary for Activities Officer, Mustafa for Equity Officer, Anoushka for Union Affairs Officer and Jenna for Education Officer.
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Sofia Rosa Dabbaj
What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
If elected, I will aim for UCL to re-join the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme to ensure LGBTQ+ students know that they have their university's full support, this will greatly benefit the wellbeing of students whilst at university as well as their future outside of UCL.
I will also aim to make access to the student wellbeing services simpler, and more visible for students. When faced with this issue it takes courage and is hard to even talk about let alone to know where to start and who to contact; the last thing students need when faced with mental illness.
What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
My experiences so far this year have shown me not only the cracks in UCL's approach to the wellbeing of its students, but also the great potential for change. Though there are some competent systems in place for students, accessing them and feeling as though the university has your back is not so. Having experienced the effects this has had on my studies this year, I believe I can be clear and concise in communicating what and how things must change to fix the disconnect between UCL and its students.
Please summarise why students should vote for you.
Students should vote for me because I will dedicate my time in this role to listening to what student voices have to say and fighting for the changes that are so deeply important. I am determined, positive, and truly excited and proud at the prospect of leading the union on all issues relating to welfare and community.
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Ziad Miqdadi
What do you hope to achieve in the role if you are elected?
If elected, I will prioritize International Student Support, Community Spaces, and Mental Health. I will:
- Implement a No Detriment Policy and/or Reasonable Academic Adjustments for students affected by war or violent conflict back home
- Create more spaces on campus that are open to students 24/7
- Revive the UCL Student Sleep Strategy, providing bookable nap spaces on campus
- Strengthen anti-racism policies, especially regarding rising Islamophobia and antisemitism
- Bring Student Support Services in Student Centre back to face-to-face
What will you bring to this role (e.g. experience, skills or qualities)?
Whether it’s making my friends laugh or pushing for change in my faculty,I strive to make an impact wherever I am
Being a course and faculty student rep(at the often underrepresented SSEES)taught me how to express the frustrated voices of my peers up the administrative ladder on issues from graduation ceremonies to academic misconduct.As Vice President and Welfare Officer of a society I was trained by the SU on mental health support,harassment,and inclusion.I’ve also been involved in strengthening anti-racist policies,familiarizing myself with UCL structure,staff,and Policy Zones
Please summarise why students should vote for you.
Having lived in Morocco,Ukraine,Jordan,the US, and now London, I’ve witnessed the successes and failures of my diverse peers through disease, racism, and violent conflict. From what I’ve seen, their academic and social success has often been tied to their direct environment.
Individuals of supportive and inclusive communities thrive. We must create a community that puts student welfare first, not after. By doing so, we can create a community that isn’t forced to seek help only when it’s too late
Let’s put student welfare first
Follow my campaign on Instagram @ZiadMiqdadi
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