I come from a small suburban area called Springfield in Tallaght, there I spent 6 long year in St. Marks secondary school before transitioning to third level education. I had Maynooth down on my CAO but originally wanted to go to Trinity. When I saw that I didn’t get the points for medecine, I was lucky to be accepted through theHEAR scheme to further my education. My family didn’t have a lot of money so the year was tough ad I ended up repeating, I was close to dropping out as science was tough but I kept going, 4 years on I’m in my final year of psychology through science and hopefully I will be leaving with a degree that my parents and grandparents never had the chance to get. I’m a hard-working, determined individual who’s experience in college has shaped me. I want to campaign to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to receive that opportunity to better their life and their families lives.
I thought the SU was lacking that fun factor this year. I believe that the I am the right person to take up this role as I have both the experience and the passion it needs. The reason I first got involved in the SU two years ago was because I knew I could make a difference, I believe if put into a full time role I will get more students engaging with the SU and have it running properly. I have so much time and energy for the students and I’ve shown this throughout the years I’ve been elected. I know I can use my experience in college, to improve the experience of every student on campus.
The 3 main focus points of my campaign are accessibility, banter and communication. Accessibility to third level education starts at entry point and stays relevant right the way through. I will campaign with the USI for free fees to be brought to Ireland so that anyone like me can go and better their lives by getting an education.For commuters, I will push for dublin bus to go to campus and for busses to run after events. For people who live in maynooth, I will lobby TDs for a rent cap in maynooth and for a south campus gate to be installed by logic house.
In terms of bringing back fun I will reinstate a properly run Raise and Give week so students can give back to maynooth town while having fun. I will extend the hours of christmas day So commuters can get involved. I will have more diverse events running on campus to stop the drink culture conceptualisation of the SU. In terms of communication I will bridge the gap between the SU and the student body by increasing visibility of the officers by getting them out and about and I will clean up the social media accounts by following the social media audit performed this year by wolfgang digital so that we may better communicate with the students. When we communicate better with the students, we can better advocate them to the University.
The idea that I’m just a popular lad running for a position has been thrown at me a lot. Anyone who knows me would know I have a lot of depth and I’m capable of managing very difficult scenarios and situations. I’m approachable and I’m passionate in making sure the students get what they want. Over my two years as an unpaid officer of the union I have poured my heart and soul into the place and as my mother once said, if I put half as much time into exercise as I do with the SU, I would be Mr Olympia. Yes I’m an extroverted student, but that does not mean I will work night and day for introverted students.
A strong team is a Strong union. The first thing I would do if elected is build team cohesiveness to make sure the SU starts on the right foot. If we hit the ground running, the SU will flourish next year and will be a more fun and open space for everyone. I will improve the student experience one step at a time.