"If I had not been nominated, I probably would not have run for the role of Equality and Diversity Officer at the KPA. I was a mature student at the end of the first year of my part-time Masters, yet I didn’t feel fully settled in to the Postgraduate Community. I found it really useful to go to drop in sessions to ask further details about the role, including how it would fit with my son’s Half-Term holidays, what support would be in place for the election and campaigning process, and when committee meetings are likely to fall. Excited about the prospect of being able to shape change, organise campaigns and meet new people, I ran for the role. 

 

Once in role, I found it very rewarding and flexible enough to fit around commitments inside (my Masters) and outside of the university (mothering, freelance poetry work and vintage dealing). Currently committee meetings are held every two weeks, and regular KPA events are organised on rotation. It’s very important to foster good relationships and communication with your team.  During the year we had a fantastic training session to deepen these relationships. Emails, meetings, casework and the organisation of campaigns take up a substantial amount of time in this role, but there is a team to call on. In this role, my skills were best put to use when having to present at inductions, run stalls and come up with new ideas to engage a diverse range of postgraduate students. Now, I am now fully immersed in to the Postgraduate Community and I feel that this role has enriched my experience of studying at Keele."

​

To find out more about Gabby's role, click the link below: