Introduction

I am Gregor, a fourth-year history student. However, I am not just a history student, I am a hiker, a swimmer and an avid learner of languages. I also have autism and dyspraxia( DCD) which has made things at university just that little bit more difficult though, and this is the important bit, not impossible. Autism and dyspraxia are things I have struggled to really come to terms with often trying to reject the label for fear of people thinking I am Sheldon Cooper which unfortunately always feels like an insult.

What are your three priorities for the year?

1. Saving our councillors- having access to that kind of support is absolutely vital and it's something we need to protect.

2 Making AUSA a much more noticeable presence on campus as I often feel as though it is rejected.

3 Making university more accessible. I want to make the union more accessible for those with disabilities.

I would like to be part of spreading awareness about how disabilities affect people, especially ones like autism which are all too often seen as invisible. In trying to achieve this aim I want there to be times of the day, across campus, which is sensory sensitive, so that students who can at times struggle with the hustle and bustle of university life can feel comfortable on our campus. It is after all everyone's campus not just a neurotypical one.

What unique skill/knowledge can you bring to the role to stand out from the other candidates? 

I have a fair amount of leadership experience, whether that's my time as a scout, both as a young person myself and as a cub leader. I was also president of the 93% club here in Aberdeen. The 93% club is a national organisation set up to help those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This leadership experience has led me to be very consensus orientated in how I deal with situations and it is this approach which I think will be very well suited to being AUSA President. 
I have struggled at university that's for sure and I think it's those experiences which will make me able to not only able to emphasise but also allow me to think of new ways of dealing with them. With the skills I bring, I also bring the ability to admit to my own mistakes, an unusual pitch idea, however, I think it's an important one. Anyone who wants to be student president has to accept that what they think is the best approach is not always the case. If elected I'll be honest about initiatives that have worked and what can be improved for the future.

What do you think is the biggest issue that students are facing at the moment and how do you plan to tackle it? 

The cost of living crisis is hitting students incredibly hard at the moment. It's something which is filtering through every element of society, every bill, every rent payment, and even Tesco's meal deal isn't as affordable as it once was. As a student body, we need to work together to make sure that students get more support than they already have. Not all students after all have the luxury of going back to their parents over the summer. I think that year-round SAAS  payments would be a vast improvement on what we already have in place and is something I think we can lobby for together.