Nominations for this year’s Leadership Elections close this Sunday (28 February). It’s only a year since I ran for this role, and yet it feels like half a life time. Speaking to prospective candidates has been an incredibly interesting experience, and it’s got me reflecting on how and why I got to where I am now.

I’ve heard a lot of reasons for running for Deputy President (Welfare), both good and bad. There are those who are extraordinarily interested or passionate about a particular area, there are those who simply ‘want to make a difference’ and those who have simply got a real kick out of their part time volunteer role. These are the people who are likely to have what it takes. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who can’t really say why they want to be an Officer Trustee.

This brings me onto my biggest tip for those considering ANY full time position: be clear about why you’re doing it. I say with absolutely no doubt that I would not have made it this far in the job had I not been clear and honest with myself about my motivations for running. I have no qualms saying three particular words to anyone considering a full time role for the sake of their CV, to have a laugh, or because they haven’t got anything else lined up: DON’T DO IT.

The last six months have been the most exciting and at the same time the most difficult of my life, which is saying a heck of a lot. Officer Trustee roles are exhilarating and empowering – I would never have found such a level of confidence and self assuredness anywhere else. I have experienced dizzying highs, but also crushing lows that have left me wondering why I’m doing this. There have been days where I would have walked out of the door and never looked back had I not had such strong motivation and belief in the work I do. This is also the steepest learning curve I or any of the other Officer Trustees have faced, and also the most stressful job I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot!).

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all doom and gloom. I am incredibly proud of some of the things I have achieved in the last six months, and there’s plenty more where they came from. I have had a truly spectacular time working with the tirelessly dedicated staff team we have here, and I have learned about things I would never have come across in any other job. The work of the part time Liberation & Welfare Officers has been an inspiration; supporting them and cheering them on has been an absolute privilege.

I stood for this position almost exactly one year ago, but I haven’t reflected on my reasons for doing so for a while so here goes. My time as ICSMSU Welfare Officer was illuminating and inspiring, but it didn’t feel long enough. The closer I looked at the problems I supported people through last year, the more I saw that they were to do with deeply seated, fundamental problems across the College. I was angry at the lack of awareness and support around mental health, frustrated by how many students I saw in severe financial difficulty with no support, and incensed by the deeply ingrained and insidious misogyny at all levels of College life. Running for a part time role two years ago was about turning my own bad experiences into positive impact, which I did on a small scale. Running for DPW was about diving deeper into the problems facing students. It was no longer enough to be driven by individual issues, it was time to connect the dots and start looking at the bigger picture and root causes. There is a medical dogma which states that prevention is better than cure which I had been forgetting during my time with ICSMSU.

I truly believe a good Deputy President (Welfare) can have a huge amount of impact at all levels of College life on many fronts. This is not an over night process; there are things happening right now which will only start to have an impact a few years down the line. It takes time and hard graft to produce meaningful change. For this reason I am determined that my successor will be even more driven and passionate than me; someone who will take the batten and run just as hard and fast as I have.

What gets me out of bed in the morning and into work is knowing that all my hard work will pay off for students. There’s enough petrol left in the tank to see me through to the end of my term, but I need an excellent successor to continue fighting for students. I’ve been looking out for excellent candidates, but I’m sure there are plenty of people who have what it takes who haven’t crossed my path yet. If you get fired up about the myriad of problems facing students, run for DPW. Drop me an email on dpwelfare@imperial.ac.uk if you want to know more about the role.