Stronger with Sally!

I believe the primary duty of the USU is to create an enriching yet affordable life on campus for all students. As a Board Director, I will ensure this goal is met through lowering costs wherever possible, improving support and communication with Clubs & Societies, and standing up for better support for international students.

- Lower the price of food on campus and work towards increasing the range of food options available

- Expand the opening hours of FoodHub, alongside expanding the variety of produce in stock

- Create a textbook exchange program to help students swap textbooks they no longer need with ones they're looking for

- Improve the quality of events that Clubs & Societies can host through increasing USU funding

- Host regular meetings with free food for USU members to get to better understand what the Union does and voice their feedback or suggestions

- Facilitate more events for international students and make better use of the International Student Lounge as a community-building space for international students

- Increase the visibility of the USU through opening accounts on platforms like REDNote and WeChat

Fundamentally, the role of a USU Board Director is to represent the student body. I will do — something that many candidates actually neglect to do after they get elected. Furthermore, a Board Director must regularly consult with the student body and be held accountable. I plan to ensure this is actualised through my campaign promise of regular meetings with free food where USU members can come together, meet with student leaders, and give feedback and criticism.

I am actively involved in a range of extracurriculars, alongside completing a relatively difficult Bachelor of Science degree double-majoring in Computer Science and Finance. Over time, I have learnt the importance of balancing my time between multiple responsibilities. This involves prioritising tasks and planning ahead. As a Board Director, I will be sure to prioritise USU duties above all else, and even lower my academic and extracurricular workload is I feel the work I am outputting for the USU is below the expectation of my voters.

As a union and as a student-funded organisation, the best interests of the USU are always linked to the best interests of students. Thus, the key is to strengthen communication and transparency such that the Union and the student body are on the same page. My promises of expanding the reach of the USU through an active presence on more social media platforms, alongside increasing accessibility through regular meetings for USU members to interact with staff and student leaders are vital ways to achieve better communication and transparency.

USU programs for international students can be greatly improved. Despite having a space dedicated towards international students — the International Student Lounge in Wentworth — there is still no sense of community or belonging. I believe it is key that the USU organises more and improves existing services targeted towards international students, such as an expanded and enhanced buddy program that is not simply limited to language exchange. Furthermore, there should be an increased quantity of USU-hosted events in the International Student Lounge like English Corners or Speed Friending to create a sense of community and vibrancy in the Lounge.