President (Student Life)

I am Gabby and I am applying to be your next President of Student Life. I am currently completing my final semester in my Undergraduate degree in the field of Terrorism and Political Violence. During my time at university, despite being highly motivated in academia, I struggled to adjust to uni life and the individual expectations that were required by myself to be successful at university. The culture of sports and societies helped me a tremendous amount, not only allowing me to continue playing the sports I love at a high level but it also allowed me to build and establish friendships and connections which have lasted me throughout my time here at CCCU. However, my societies helped me when I questioned whether uni was the right decision for me and it provided an external outlook and outlet for me to focus on, as well as my studies, ultimately aiding me in my decision to stay at university. Being apart of societies gifted me a new found confidence in myself and my abilities and has massively contributed to my successes so far and my love for my university journey. Seeing how much previous student leaders have managed to accomplish has been truly inspiring. To see them put their initiatives into motion, demonstrating that student voices are heard and prioritised at the university, ensuring that everyone can have the best experience possible.

One of my key priorities if I was to be elected, is to maintain and continue the initiatives in place currently so that they can reach their full potential and set goals, for example: supporting sport and society committees in their committee roles, eliminating any unnecessary stresses and clearing up any queries that they may have, guiding them in areas where they require support. Additionally, my top priorities link to protecting and promoting the mental health of individuals within sport and student societies. Positive psychological environments are the foundations for high level performance, confidence and long term participation. When mental well-being is not prioritised, student engagement decreases - students become less motivated, less connected to their teams/clubs and are more likely to withdraw from activities they once enjoyed or used as an outlet. Poor mental health can increase due to injuries, as well as causing injuries, due to stress, burnout or recovery. Sometimes negative coaching experiences can further damage a persons self-esteem and create a lasting anxiety and impression of how that individual views sport or their clubs activities. I believe it is essential to address these challenges but activity reshape bad experiences into positive views by fostering supportive coaching, open communication and inclusive team cultures. By promoting good mental health and creating empowering environments, sport and societies can become a space for growth, resilience and belonging, allowing people to feel valued.

I am a highly motivated individual with amps of experience within positions of leadership. Being Vice President of the Cricket club, a captain of one of the Netball teams and a course rep here at Christ Church, has further equipped me with the leadership, organisation and communication skills essential to be an effective student leader. Within these roles, I have been responsible for supporting the clubs operations, coordinating training and ensuring committee collaboration alongside ensuring that members feel included and represented within a positive and inclusive team culture. These roles have also strengthened my ability to balance and maintain a high level of administrative responsibility in order to achieve shared goals and my ability to rationalise effectively before making decisions. Being selected for these roles has required me to lead by example whilst participating within activities and in daily life, to maintain and upkeep the positive image of the university and its values. Together, these experiences demonstrate my commitment, reliability and capacity to represent and support various diverse groups of students - qualities that would enable me to be a proactive, approachable, and effective student leader.