Punjabi Society: President

Growing up and being able to fully immerse myself in Punjabi culture has helped me find my identity and sense of purpose. It has made me the confident person I am today. That is what I hope to bring to our society if elected President. Our vibrant and diverse culture is one that should be celebrated and used to help others find their sense of identity. As President, I would serve on the basis of wanting to get things done for everyone because at its core, our society should value the importance of inclusion.

Having been Head Girl at school, I have experience in leading a big team and communicating with leadership bodies similar to the Students Union. Moreover, it gave me experience in a range of areas such as charity work & fundraising, community development, PR, Logistics, and marketing.

In order to have a level of inclusivity, I would send out a form asking all members what they want to see from the committee and the society over the year to make sure that everyone's voice is heard. That way, the committee continues to serve the purpose of listening and reflecting on what its members want.

Genuine commitment, passion and experience are only a few of the skills I can bring to our society if elected as President. Vote Maya for President to have a confident, well-run and inclusive Committee and society. Together, we can have a Punjabi society that not only honours our heritage but functions for you.

Thank you!

Being a part of UCL's Punjabi Soc has been such a great part of my first year, so I would love to give back to the society and serve as a member of next year's committee!

During sixth form I was elected as an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion prefect, allowing for me to gain key experience in organising cultural events. As part of my prefect legacy project, I helped organise and run my school's first ever "Global Citizenship Week", each day exploring and celebrating a different element of people's cultural heritage, be this with food, music or clothing. The week concluded with the successful execution of our county's first ever "Culture day", providing both students and staff the opportunity to wear clothing they felt truly reflected their cultural identity, as showcased in our fashion show finale. I also collaborated with other prefects and senior staff members to organise other cultural events (such as Diwali and Eid celebrations), student newsletters and fundraising campaigns.

Hence why I would love to develop my creativity and organisation skills further as a social secretary, organising events, club nights and game nights to bring everyone together and celebrate a culture we are all so proud to belong to. An idea I have for a future event is an annual Punjabi Soc ball, giving everyone the chance to dress up and enjoy good food, music and an open bar (definitely a requirement).

As president, the vision is to make PSOC the most active, inclusive and exciting society at UCL. By creating and captaining PSOC FC, we’ve built a space where people of all backgrounds come together to enjoy the sport, bond, and celebrate Punjabi culture at the same time - and I will take that formula and scale it across the whole society. This means bigger events, more opportunities to get involved, and a stronger sense of community where everyone feels welcome. 

With an extensive network across other UCL societies, as well as across the country, it’ll be easier to organise joint events, competitions and even our very own PSOC ball. Beyond that, bringing in The Shiv Show for the talent show was just a glimpse of how I will bring in (bigger) names through an extremely expansive network - whether it’s artists like Ammy Virk or other top talent, PSOC will become a hub for unforgettable events. This network also opens the door to high levels of sponsorship, with businesses eager to collaborate with a thriving, culturally rich society, allowing us to fund even bigger and better events.

Also as ChatGPT gets exponentially better, so will the event ideas…