Introduction

My name is Destiny Ayo Vaughan, I am currently a postgraduate (taught) student in Psychological Studies. I am running for the position of the VP of Welfare in this years election. This year, I was involved in a variety of University activities, which exposed me to a variety of issues concerning student well-being and inspired me to take action. My primary position is to hold the university accountable for student well-being.

What are your three priorities for the year?

• Mental Health support
  •  Mental health workshops
  • Collaborations with other organisations to come to the college for events
  • Improve student confidence in using the many student support services offered on campus, such as the Disability and Dyslexia Center, by working with student support.
  • I want to broaden our Union's perspectives on student safety and how to deal with loneliness: By creating stress-relieving areas for students to unwind on each campus, and by addressing security protocols, students at Aberdeen  University will feel safer while attending classes—from home to lectures and back.
• New student and international Support in Welfare
  • New students and international peer support system
  • Financial hardship funds for international students
  • More social events for new students
• Student Hardship support
  • Advocate for increased university investment in bursaries and hardship funds, as well as improved public awareness of this assistance. Consider establishing a food bank within the school, as other schools do for their students.
  • Working with student hardship programme to make it more accessible to international students
  • Working with non-profit organisation that support people with free food and products.

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

As someone who has worked as a youth engagement intern for plan international Ireland where I worked directly with the deployment educational officer. I gained valuable insight into the role that educational equity and diversity play in the well being of people. This experience has given me a unique perspective that can be an asset to this VP position. My experience has made me particularly suited to understanding the needs of students to secure their success and improvement and to ensure a high-quality education for all pupils despite the forces that may hold them back from success.

Experience

• Founder – Mind The Gap Ireland non- profit organisation
• Mental Health health volunteer worker
• Psychology student
• Social science graduate
• UN SDGN local pathway fellow
• Certified safeguarding training

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

Mental health support

Numerous areas of the university's mental health support programme require improvement. It is important to ensure that students receive the ongoing support they require when it comes to their mental health, rather than being sent an email with contact information to place to a call. Which is what’s some students are being sent when asking for mental health support  The best way to ensure that students have resources both on and off campus is for the university to collaborate with other organisations that address mental health.

My aim to tackle this issue is the getting the university to have stronger networking with other non-profit organisation that provide free metal support for students. Which will reduce the number of students been made wait for support.