My name is Yunshan and I intend to run for the position of President for SSSMUK Committee 17/18! I am a first-year student currently pursuing a degree in BSc Management in the University of Manchester.

 

When I first learnt that I would be heading to Manchester for my undergraduate degree, I did not know what to expect during my time here. After all, I barely knew anyone who would be attending the same school and the thought of having to settle down alone in a foreign country scared me. That easily became the main reason why I attended the very first pre-departure talk held by the university and later on, the Orientation Camp held by SSSMUK back in July. And boy was I glad I decided to participate. Through the camp, I had the opportunity to not only interact and make new friends (both batchmates and seniors!), it was also where I met the coursemates that would later be my closest friends in the following months.

 

As we started this incredible educational journey, it was a whole new stage of life away from the comfort of our own homes. Like many others, I was curious, and slightly worried, of what a completely independent life would involve. And ever since I’ve been here, hanging out with my fellow Singaporean friends have always made me feel so warm and happy being in this homelike environment. Hence, I find it incredibly important to preserve and uphold the values of this community for current, and future Singaporean students to know that no matter when, there will always be Singsoc to welcome them anytime. And as some would put it, they can feel safe in this home away from home, and enjoy their time spent in Manchester to the fullest.

 

What I hope to achieve as the President would involve 2 main aspects: building relationships within and outside of the society as well as being accountable for the committee’s decisions and actions.

 

Firstly, I wish to foster friendships within the community by continuing the current variety of events to promote interactions between members. Beyond that, I would like to reach out to societies of other nationalities as well, such as the Malaysian or Thai Society in Manchester for event collaborations. With such events, I believe they can not only provide members opportunities to interact and build relationships with other students, they also provide a platform for our society to plan larger-scale activities for members to participate and enjoy. Given our society’s limited resources and members, doing them alone would have otherwise been impossible. Furthermore, I believe that members should not have to fork out large sums of money to spend time with their friends. Previous committees have recognized that and they have all made huge and respectable efforts to provide various welfare benefits for Singaporeans. During my time, I wish to not only maintain these relationships, but to also pursue new ones so that our members can benefit from newly-acquired sponsorships or discounts.

 

Secondly, accountability is a principle that I greatly value. For a society to function effectively, I believe there needs to be trust between committee members and the members themselves, which can only be earned if the President and the team fulfill their responsibilities. Being part of several executive committees before in past extracurricular activities have taught me the essential teamwork and problem-solving skills needed when operating in a society. Hence, I believe I have what it takes to perform my duties well and am equipped with the leadership experiences to lead the committee to do the same too.

 

If I am elected, I will be wholly committed to this position and it will be my great honour to see through the society’s future progress in 2018/19. Thank you!