Rachel Lim is the outgoing Welfare and Community Officer at Students' Union UCL.
Rachel Lim has had a big part to play in student life here at UCL. From being a student trustee, to Person of Colour Officer for 2023/24, institute bar tender to Welfare and Community Officer for 2024/25, she has made it her mission as a sabbatical officer to provide community and excellent student experience and wellbeing at UCL. Find out more about her work, impact and what she’s learned as an Officer.
Hi I’m Rachel, I studied Social and Data science as a student, and for the past year I have been the elected Welfare and Community Officer at Students’ Union UCL. It’s changed my life, being part of so many different aspects of the organisation. Being actively apart of the Students' Union makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger.
You get to tell the SU these wacky, crazy ideas and they’re like, ‘ok, cool, let’s do it!'
I’m really proud of the work I’ve been able to accomplish as an officer this year, such as giving lots more onus to Halls and Accommodation Officers so they can have a much bigger impact, and the hugely important officer accountability procedures I’ve put in place. I was super lucky to have these experiences and have the SU back my ideas and put them into play. Furthermore, I was honoured to host the annual Community Awards to celebrate and thank our student communities for their hard work and achievements.
UCL taught me how valuable your insight can be as a student, and how much you can shape university life. Having structures that enable you to explore what you love and what you are passionate about to encourage self-development and community is so important as a student leader, and UCL has helped me so much with that.
First years: My advice
My advice for a first year? You never know what you like unless you try it out. This is your time to try everything and find out all the things that you love and is going to shape you as a person. Be stupid! Do it. If you’re never going to do that thing you’ve always wanted to do now, you never will. The cost of community is inconvenience; you’ll never find your community if you’re not inconvenienced.