Why did you choose to contest Social Policy Commissioner?
I have been working with students for the past 6 years. I am perfectly aware of what students can do and it’s because I believe in such potential that I decided to contest such role. Youth have so much to offer! Think of student organisations and the massive job they already do, imagine if we could manage to get double the students to participate on campus; think of the flow of ideas and resources. Dynamics will be different but the student representation will undoubtedly reach new heights. With the right motivation and energy we can do this. This is not a one-man team for sure. Everyone will need to give a helping hand. It is not just my dream, it’s our dream! All these factors contribute to my decision to contest, because I do believe in a brighter future in which students are much involved.
What is your background in organisations?
From 2012-2015 I did voluntary work as a Youth leader with Zak Malta, where together with three other people we took care of a group of teenagers. Our roles were to teach skills that are useful in life and ti keep them enthusiastic about the mission and values of the organisation. In 2014 I became Betapsi’s Vice President and the year after I occupied the role of President. These were two of the best years of my life, in which I had a brilliant team. I would have never had such a beautiful experience if it were not for them. Thanks for everything Betapsi! Also, last year I became an EFPSA (European Federation of Psychology association) trainer and also a member of one of EFPSA’s offices — Training Office. I have been travelling for a year now to give workshops around Europe.
Why should organisations trust you with their vote?
The reasons why I contested KPS are ones which I have very at heart. There is no way forward without being honest and genuine. What I proposed is not simple but not impossible either. I want to dedicate my next year in helping and nourishing both students and students’ organizations, to provide them with aid to strive forward and grow as much as possible. I have seen what they can accomplish. The thing which I am looking forward to the most is their satisfaction of reaching new heights. A lot of people complain due to student apathy. What they don’t understand is that we carry apathy with us and unless we do something about it it cannot change. So why should organisations trust me with their vote? If you do give me your vote, I am going to give you all the time and experience you need.
How do you plan to tackle apathy in university?
Apathy is the lack of energy to do something. To instigate something, one needs to start a ripple effect that will shake its own foundations and that is what I am planning to do. By introducing the Need Assessments, and after generating workshops according to those needs, I will be starting a ripple effect that in the long run will slowly start to diminish apathy. It’s is not an easy path since apathy is deeply ingrained in our society, people do not participate actively not just at university but also in society in general.
Why are you better for the role than other contesting candidates?
To say that you are better than the others contesting shows that you’re only considering your views and are blind to ideas that you cannot see. I would rather say that my proposals are aimed to foster more growth at university both in organisations and in student activism. I am pretty sure the other contestants also have these factors in mind, but my experience in youth leadership and in training has shown me that these methods do significantly help people become better persons.
On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate the management of last year"s KPS office overall, and give a reason for your rating.
I would rate it as 8. Overall Last year’s KPS office was very organised and on top of its game. Emma and Robert had big shoes to fill from Andrew and Becky’s time but they did a magnificent job. I attended a number of KPS meetings last year and there was flow and good reason behind the chosen agendas. Also, the policies discussed were on point with what was trending. Well done Emma and Robert!
What would you have done better or changed if you could?
There isn’t a lot that I would have changed. In fact what I aiming to do is to introduce a new system to back up what previous KPS officers have done.