When I look back on why I decided to run for President there's alot of reasons. I wanted to help other people enjoy the univeristy experience as much as I did, I wanted to change people's attitudes to certain things and if I'm completely honest I was trying to buy myself time.
Graduating is daunting, now more than ever, but having that security of knowing you were going into a full time paid job with people that I already knew and had spent time with, at a place I loved was just too good a chance to pass up.
Once I made it into the role, I found it to be more reading and preparing for senior meetings than I expected but when I got to lead and get involved in campaigns and the events it was just a wonderful experience. It was also incredible getting to know the new students and see the people that you already knew getting involved with projects you worked on and seeing them enjoying themselves.
I think something that gets overlooked when you consider a role like this is how good it feels being heard. In meetings with the Vice Chancellor and other senior University members of staff, you were listened to no matter how small your thought might be. Learning the in's and out's of what the university were doing for students, was a big deal for me because it was this behind the scenes look at everything, and your voice has weight when you're a sabb, I was helping the University improve their vision and make a positive change for the students.
Last but not least, I really enjoyed working with everyone in the Students' Union, sometimes people think an office job is dull but this isn't a normal office role. Everyday was fun getting to work with friends who I've known for a while and seeing how we can all work as a team to create something wonderful and worthwhile for students at Bucks.
It's definitely something I'm glad I put myself forward for and I'm so happy I did what I could when I was President. Even if you are on the fence and unsure whether it's for you, I promise you will get something out of the experience of running for any of the roles, especially a Sabbatical Officer role. You never want to look back and ask yourself what if...
- Tao Warburton, President 2019-2020
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