End of Year Reflections

As my first year as a Sabbatical Officer has drawn to a close and campus life begins to quieten, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable journey I’ve experienced with Roehampton Students’ Union. Serving as your Vice President Education over the past year has been an incredible privilege—a year filled with unforgettable highs, valuable lessons, and countless moments of inspiration.

This year has truly been a rollercoaster, from the excitement and energy of Freshers’ Festival to the bittersweet farewells with colleagues who have become close friends – I wouldn’t have changed any of it one bit!

One of my proudest personal achievements was the opportunity to speak at my own graduation ceremony. I’ll admit, public speaking has always made me nervous—so I challenged myself: if i could deliver a speech at graduation, perhaps I’d feel more confident speaking up in meetings. While it didn’t magically cure my nerves, standing on that stage was a milestone I’ll remember for years to come. It was a personal victory that reminded me of the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone.

Beyond that, I’ve loved the diverse experiences this role has offered—from attending parliamentary events and visiting other Students’ Unions across the country, to collaborating closely with the university’s senior leadership team. Each opportunity has helped me grow, both personally and professionally, and for that I am truly grateful.

Recent Updates

As the summer sets in and our students move off campus, my updates this month are quite limited, however, some highlights include:

• Refugee Week: We marked this important week with the showing of the film ‘Life is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza’ by Palestinian director Mohamed Jabaly in collaboration with The Library and The Palestinian Society.

• Donation Drive: The Spring Donation Drive was a great success, thank you to the wonderful Roehampton Staff and Students! In the end, we collected over 700 items for the community cupboard, saving over 220kg of waste on campus!

• New Sabbatical Team: In mid-June we welcomed our newly elected Sabbatical Officers to the team, Joshua Kayode (RSU President) and Sammy Singh (VP Welfare) for the 2025 – 2026 Academic Year. That said, this year also meant saying farewell to Imran Shafiqi (RSU President) and Adam Fewster (VP Welfare) as their terms for the 2024–2025 academic year came to an end. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside both Adam and Imran over the past year. I will truly miss their presence and camaraderie in the year ahead, but I have no doubt that wherever their journeys take them next, they will be valued and cherished just as much as they were here.

Looking Ahead: The Next Academic Year

As I look forward to the next academic year, I am excited to build on the foundations we’ve laid.

My focus will be on Reimagine Roehampton—a vision for strengthening our sense of community and creating inspiring spaces on campus. I am eager to work with students, staff, and the wider university to make Roehampton an even better place to learn, grow, and belong.

My second focus will be on implementing an English Language Development Course that will be available to any international students who may need support with their English. Lastly, I will be continuing to work on maintaining and enhancing Wellbeing Wednesday.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey—your support, ideas, and passion have made all the difference.

Here’s to another year of learning, growth, and community at Roehampton!