Orla's Blog: My First Blog of 2016/17!
This is the first blog post of the year from Orla Hillary, your returning Vice President Health & Education and Science & Technology
Hey Middlesex! Congratulations on getting into Middlesex University, and if you’re reading this as a returning student, WELCOME BACK!
I hope you’ve all had an amazing summer and are ready to celebrate your time at university with me at Freshers' in September.
I’m Orla Hillary, your elected MDXSU Vice President for the Health & Education and Science & Technology schools. I'm back for my second year in the position after being re-elected in the MDXSU Elections in March, and that’s thanks to all of YOU amazing students.
Within my role as Vice President at Middlesex Students' Union I represent all Health & Education and Science & Technology students at our university, but before I tell you what I do, let me tell you a bit about me!
This July, I graduated (finally!) from my Adult Nursing Degree. I started at Middlesex University in 2012, and have so much to pass on to you all. Most of the students in my schools are placement students just like me, so if you’re feeling isolated or not involved as much as you’d like to, get in touch. I want you to have the best time here just like I did.
When I came to Middlesex I immediately joined the Women’s basketball team, which is where I made my first group of uni friends. In my second year I was made Captain and had the best year of my life, winning Captain of the Year, and also being awarded MDX Student of the Year 2014 by the Students' Union. I also used my time at Middlesex to try out sports like Gaelic Football and Rugby, which now I play full time.
Alongside sports, I was also elected as a Student Voice Leader for my course in my second year. As a Voice Leader you have the power to take your classmate's issues and ideas and work with university staff to do something about it! I highly recommend you nominate yourself as the Student Voice Leader for your year of your course so that you can really make the most of your course and time here at university. If there’s something bothering you, or something just not quite right then escalate it! If we don’t know about it, we can’t fix it.
So now you know a bit about me, here's what I want to do this year as your MDXSU Vice President Health & Education and Science & Technology...
My first aim is to get two graduations a year at Middlesex University, rather than just the one week of graduation ceremonies in July. Students on postgraduate and placement courses finish later than others, meaning they miss the summer Graduation Week and have to wait up to a year to graduate, and I want to change that!
The second thing I want to do is make the university a gender neutral and accessible campus for everyone. Did you know that the lifts on campus couldn’t fit certain sized wheelchairs in them?
Another campaign I'm working on is making Wednesday afternoons free from classes. Did you know that we’re one of only a few universities in the country to not have Wednesday afternoons free? Wednesday afternoons is when many universities hold sports competitions, have society meet-ups and give students time for part-time work if they choose to, and I think it's a great way of giving students more flexibility and time for co-curricular activities.
Lastly, one of my key aims for 2016/17 is around free dyslexia testing. Currently international students have to pay for dyslexia testing, while home students get it for free, and I really want to work with the university to change this so it's accessible to all students.
These are the main focus areas I’ll be working on throughout the year, but that's not all. As well as representing students within the Health & Education and Science & Technology Schools, I also look after volunteering and MDX RAG (our Raise & Give Society), organising volunteering locally and abroad and raising money for charity - earlier this year I climbed Kilimanjaro with RAG! I also look after the MDXSU LGBT Assembly, and will be working to make the university greener too!
If anything I've spoken about - sports, volunteering, the environment, the LGBT Assembly, my campaigns - interests you too, then please get in touch by emailing me at o.hillary@mdx.ac.uk or visiting your Students' Union downstairs in MDX House.
See you all soon!
Orla
Click here to find out more about Orla, or email her at o.hillary@mdx.ac.uk
