Serina Guo
Faculty/Degree Held
Law; Arts and Social Sciences
Year of Studying/Conferring
III
USU Positions
Marketing Director, Sydney University Law Society (SULS) 2026
International Competitor, University of Sydney Debating Society 2024 - 2026
Communications Director, University of Sydney Debating Society 2025
Social Justice Committee Member, SULS 2025
Women's Committee Member, SULS 2025
Member, SULS 2024 - 2026
Member, University of Sydney Debating Society 2024 - 2026
Member, Sydney University Economics Society 2026
Other Interests
Hey everyone! I'm Serina, currently in my third year of Economics and Law. When I'm not buried in derivations and readings, you can find me trying new restaurants, playing guitar for my housemates (jam sesh anyone?), and learning (with varying degrees of success) to play tennis. Having moved to Sydney in 2024 for uni, I'm dedicated to using my firsthand experience to improve campus life and increase access to essential resources for all students. Uni is such a pivotal part of our experience as young people, and I’m so excited to build a USU that Speaks Up for you!
Candidate Policy Statement
Speak Up with Serina
There are so many things that contribute to the quality of student life, from social events, to food and essential services on campus. My vision for the USU improves access to food on and around campus, expands the provision of health services including free vaccinations and health checkups, and supports services for international and interstate students at USYD!
Speak Up for Campus Life
- More and faster free food carts during exams
- Catering to diverse dietary needs, including expanding access to halal and vegan options on campus
- Negotiating discounts with local restaurants and grocery stores
- Increasing social events at USU venues, like Manning Night Market, and expanding equity ticketing
- Greater support for clubs and societies, including weekly advertising of club and society events alongside USU events
Speak Up for Student Wellbeing
- Expanding free vaccinations for students
- Advocating for expanded access to health services on campus
- Providing greater mental health support and advocating to increase the counselling session cap from 6 to 8
Speak Up for Inclusivity
- Establishing an international student peer-mentoring program
- More social events at the International Student Lounge
- Advocating for international student concession cards
Get to know Serina
Describe the key roles and responsibilities of a USU Board Director.
The USU Board exists to improve student life. As a USU Board Director, my priority would be to represent the student body well, listening to students, understanding your concerns, and advocating for them in board discussions. Furthermore, the role requires accountable and responsible decision-making that shapes student life on campus; a USU Board Director should be diligent in examining where improvements are needed, managing the USU’s direction, and ensuring the Union stays effective and sustainable.
How will you ensure that you can commit the time required to be an effective Board Director?
To be an effective Board Director requires consistency, preparation, and follow-through. As a die-hard multitasker, my experience balancing study with work, volunteering, and serving on society executives has prepared me with the organisational skills (and the iCalendar to match!) to plan ahead and meet deadlines reliably. If elected, this role will be a priority, one in which I will be engaged, committed, and dependable.
How will you represent the best interests of the student community, while also representing the best interests of the USU?
Students want real improvements in areas that matter, and my goal is to balance the interests of the student community with those of the USU, creating solutions that are sustainable and operationally viable in the long term. I’m dedicated to representing students not just by advocating loudly, but by staying connected through conversations, feedback, and working closely with clubs and societies, and will focus on practical outcomes that produce improvements that students can actually see, while ensuring the USU can keep delivering into the future.
Identify an area of the USU where you would like to see improvement and explain how this will be of benefit to the organisation and/or students.
One of the most prominent ways students engage with the USU every single day is through food outlets, and this is an area that the USU can do more. Every election, we hear about getting cheaper food for students, and I am dedicated to lowering prices on campus, and using our leverage as Australia’s largest independent student-led organisation to negotiate discounts with local vendors on King St and Broadway to reduce costs for students. However, beyond just prices, it’s time the USU revamps our suppliers to improve access to diverse dietary options including delicious halal and vegan food on campus.