End of Year Update - Megan Ball

Monday 28-06-2021 - 09:58
Meg blog

726 days of representing you. What an incredible two years in office!


I can’t believe that the last 24 months of being your President are boiled down to the next 3 days. When I ran in the SU Elections back in February 2019, I don’t think I could have ever imagined the journey that I would go on. That election, and the one in February 2020, didn’t have any consideration of Covid-19…they also didn’t hint to staff strikes, no detriment policies, rent rebates and lobbying for student’s minimum educational rights.


But, they also didn’t hint at the fantastic experiences I would have, people I would meet, external opportunities I would be given, and the transformative journey that would change me for the better – professionally and personally.

It might sound over dramatic, but the activism journey that we have all gone through is nothing short of amazing. I have sat with students in (virtual) meeting rooms as they laid their trauma out for the world to see and asked the sector to provide appropriate care for them. I have sat in boardrooms by myself and fought tooth and nail for what is the bare minimum. I have said goodbye to students, said hello to new people, hugged students and cried with them in terrible times, and cheered and celebrated with them when we have had successful wins.


I won’t get too deep now, as I’m going to post a big goodbye post on my last day as President (THIS WEDNESDAY!!!). But in our last ever Podcast – go over and have a listen! - we talked about our best and favourite moments of our roles, so I thought I’d just recap on the best times over here: 


Both election nights when I found out I would be President. My first, because I genuinely did not expect to win the vote and I was a total underdog. The second, because I got elected for a second time with my besties Ellen & Vic


Winning a £3.4 million rent rebate fund for students at the start of the pandemic, allowing students to exit housing contracts early and get refunds for their time spent at home


Co-writing and working on not one, but two (!!) No Detriment Policies to give students better academic support


Freshers 2019! Helping students move in, chatting to parents, and meeting so many at our events. I’ve never been so tired in my life (I think we worked 100 hours in 9 days), but it was such a fun week


Being able to pull together the Student & Staff Recognition Awards 2021 – celebrating incredible members of our University community, giving out awards, and seeing so many of you in person again. Delivering my speech was really special too! 


Graduation 2020 – getting to graduate myself, but also seeing so many of my friends and fellow students graduate too!


My first ever Wonkhe article back in April 2020 with the wonderful Eve Alcock. We wrote about how Universities can listen to student leaders in a global pandemic, and I think it resonated with so many people


Getting elected to National Scrutiny Council for NUS! Putting Winchester on the map!


Working on the recruitment of the new Vice Chancellor has been a fantastic experience


Speaking to soooo many news outlets in the aftermath of the statue unveiling – it was great to see so many media organisations prioritising hearing from student voice!

 

These are just a handful of the great things I’ve experienced in the past two years – I could probably write reams and reams of pages of great experiences! 

 

I’ll write a big soppy post on my last day in office, but my closing message for this blog is this – every day, I wake up and I am still so grateful, thankful & excited to have been your President. Thank you to 611 and 889 students that voted for me, and the over 8,000 who put their trust in me. This is an experience that will stay with me forever.

 

Have a great Summer, rest and recuperate, and never stop being the driving force behind this University.

 

SU Love, 

 

Megan 

SU President, 2019 - 2021

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