2022/23 Student Officer farewell
Your 2022/23 Student Officer Team term has come to an end and well… we’re not crying, you are.
Our team of strong, determined, professional and smart Student Officers have had one amazing year. They hit it off from day one (probably due to the four-hour long photoshoot) and have been a force to be reckoned with ever since. From team-bonding trips to manifesto perfecting, volunteering in the community to meeting key people in and around the city – you hit the ground running.
As we prepare to welcome back Shaquita Corry and Clodagh McErlean to complete their second term with us, the time has come to sadly say goodbye to Gaby Tran (Nhung Trang Tran) and Marie Hie - so let's take a look back over a year filled with roaring success and unforgettable memories.
Shaquita, you have worked endlessly in trying to make sure all students get the best out of their degrees, and their academic experience here at LJMU – for example, making it easier for students to ask for extensions when they need it most has been integral to student wellbeing. You have been committed to equality and have successfully published a policy with the university to decolonise the curriculum. You have developed important relationships with many university leaders, making the JMSU / LJMU link stronger than ever. We can’t wait to see what you have in store for us as the 2023/24 Vice President Education 2.0.
Clodagh, you have seen many record-breaking numbers this year. Watching sports teams soar through their BUCS tournaments – seeing 3 teams win at the end of the year. You have shown equal support for both sports and societies, advocating for inclusion and opportunity through Challenge Clodagh. You volunteered yourself as a new-comer to many groups – from trying rugby to boxing, debating to creative writing, you made it seem a little less scary for those who wanted to try out something knew. We hope to see your work continue into next year as you bring in new policies that will ensure further inclusivity in sports and societies as our new Vice President Activities.
Gaby, you advocated for the importance of student voices by producing the jmsYOU podcast series, highlighting student experiences and signposting to support services. You, with your fellow officers, fought for international student rights on a national level at NUS and won. You partied with hundreds of students over the course of Nationalities Connected Week, celebrating the unique diversity at the university, encouraging students to share their love for their countries and cultures. As VP Community and Wellbeing, you truly put ‘Community’ at the heart of everything you did.
Marie – you led the team with impeccable leadership. You too had the ability to bring communities together and advocated for student inclusion – your Winter Socials was a prime example of this. You celebrated the students that had the opportunity to go home during breaks, whilst catering for the students who couldn’t, making sure no student was left out. You lobbied the university, alongside your student officers, about the Cost of Living, and asked questions students needed answers to. You worked on policies to Decolonise the Curriculum and worked with many university officials to help pass policies. You championed for equality and inclusion and helped your officers with each campaign they led. Your time as JMSU President was truly memorable.
As a team you have worked brilliantly. Thank you, on behalf of all staff and students at LJMU and JMSU. Whilst we are sad to say our goodbyes, we are extremely excited to see what’s in store for you next.
We are so excited to welcome our 2023/24 VP Community and Wellbeing Alexandria Jones, and President Jasmine Howard to the team – you have some amazing ideas your predecessors will be proud of. We can’t wait to see how they get on.
