FAR FROM HOME. NEVER ALONE. A LIFETIME OF STORIES.

Queen’s University Belfast should give us more than a degree. Whether we graduate with a Master’s or a PhD, we should leave with stories to tell, lessons to share with our children and grandchildren, with a few friendships that cross borders and last a lifetime, and memories that bring a smile to our faces years from now.

Imagine sitting in the comfort of your own home years after graduation, looking through photographs of your time at Queen’s: the friends you made, the events you attended, the challenges you overcame and the moments that made you laugh. Imagine sharing those memories with your children and grandchildren, telling them about the place where you pursued your dreams, discovered new opportunities and found people who became part of your story.

That is the university experience I believe we should be working towards.

For many of us, coming to Queen’s means leaving behind our families, our homes and everything familiar to pursue a dream. We arrive with ambition, courage and hope, but the journey can also bring loneliness, financial pressure and uncertainty. Even for those who have always called Northern Ireland home, university brings its own challenges and opportunities to find new connections.

I believe our Students’ Union has an important role to play in making that journey better.

As a postgraduate student studying MSc Artificial Intelligence, I want to help build a community where students feel heard, supported, included and connected—a community where we can pursue our ambitions without feeling that we have to face every challenge alone.

If elected Student Parents’ and Carers’ Students’ Association Chairperson, I will focus on these priorities:

1. A university that understands family life

Advocate for greater awareness of the challenges student parents and carers face, including balancing lectures, assignments, childcare and caring responsibilities.

2. Flexibility that makes a difference

Raise concerns about timetable clashes, inflexible deadlines and difficulties attending essential activities. Advocate for fair, transparent and appropriate flexibility where possible.

3. Clearer access to support

Work with the Students’ Union and relevant University services to improve awareness of financial assistance, childcare information, wellbeing support and available adjustments for student parents and carers.

4. A community where no carer feels alone

Encourage welcoming meet-ups and peer-support opportunities where student parents and carers can share experiences, exchange practical advice and build connections without feeling judged or isolated.

5. Representation that leads to action

Create opportunities for student parents and carers to raise concerns confidentially, bring common issues to the relevant Students’ Union forums and receive honest updates on progress.

Nappy changes, deadline changes — let’s help you handle both!

One day, our degrees may hang on the walls of our homes, tucked away in dusty old files or forgotten in a drawer, but our stories will live with us forever.

Years from now, I hope we will remember not only what we studied, but also the people who stood beside us, the friendships that crossed borders, the communities that welcomed us and the experiences that helped shape who we became. I hope we will have stories to share with our children and grandchildren about the place where we pursued our dreams, overcame challenges, learned from one another and found a sense of belonging.

When that day comes, I hope we remember Queen’s not only for the qualifications we earned, but for the people we met, the challenges we overcame, the opportunities we embraced and the community that helped make our journeys worthwhile.

Because our time at Queen’s should be about more than earning a degree. It should be about building a future, finding our people and creating stories that last a lifetime.

EVERY JOURNEY MATTERS. EVERY STUDENT BELONGS.