"My name is Cassie de St. Croix, and I’m one of your elected Presidents! This means I’m one of the main points of contact with your Union, and it’s my job to represent the student voice to the University and make sure you’re heard!"
Meet Cassie de St. Croix, your re-elected Students' Union President representing you at the University for the Creative Arts Canterbury! Before their election last year, Cassie studied Illustration at UCA Canterbury!
We asked Cassie a few questions about being re-elected as Students' Union President, their journey to becoming president, their vision for the future, and even a few fun facts you probably didn’t know. So, grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to get to know the person who’s working hard to make our university experience unforgettable.
What made you want to run for re-election as a President at UCA Students’ Union?
"Honestly I just didn’t feel like the work was done yet! A year feels like a long time but as elections were coming up again I knew that I couldn’t walk away just yet. There has been so much work done in the past year to restructure your Students’ Union, and now we’ve got things headed in the right direction, I feel like I can really start pushing for the changes you want to see!
My first year was such a steep learning curve, and it took a while to figure out the best way to approach things. Whether through talking to you, pushing for change in university committee meetings, or representing UCA students at local and national conferences, everything I’ve done in the past year has helped me grow into a better advocate and leader. And this year I’m ready to hit the ground running!"
As you’ve been voted in based on your manifesto – what campaigns will you have this year, and what will you be aiming to achieve during your time as President?
"As an officer team of three Presidents, we’ve got three main areas that we collectively want to focus on: the cost of living crisis, improving university support to international students, and working on your Union becoming more visible and relevant to you!
One of my personal manifestos looks at improving The Lounge in Canterbury and looking into utilising the bar space. We are so lucky to have such a large, versatile place in the heart of the campus, and it’s time to give it back to students! I’ll be looking for feedback on how YOU want the space to look and feel, and seeing what magic I can work in my last year here!
I have also been working hard with the staff team at UCASU to help make the course rep system easier to access, and taking away any ratios or caps so anyone can become a rep if you’ve done our training. We think it’s silly that anyone who wants to represent the student voice should be turned away, so we’ve opened our doors! We’ll also be keeping in touch with course reps throughout the year with support from their campus officers and Presidents.
When I was a student at UCA, I found it so difficult to get my voice heard, which is why I believe everyone should have a voice through the Union. And the more of us sharing our experiences, the stronger the student voice becomes."
How can UCA students get involved witn your campaigns?
"The best way to get involved with our campaigns is to help shape them! Keep an eye out for open forums, Meet Your Union events, and catch ups with your course reps. Tell us what you’d like to see change at UCA, and what we can do better as a union to support you.
Our officer campaigns this year revolve around international student support, the cost of living crisis, and strengthening the union’s relationship with you, our members!
We’ll also be running campus level campaigns throughout the year so it’s super important that you get your voice heard if you want to make a change on your campus.
So sign up to be a course rep, get involved in a forum, or just come and say hi if you see us out and about!"
What advice would you give to our new intake of students to ensure they get the best from their university experience?
"Honestly? GO AND HAVE FUN! And I’m not just talking about partying (although that has its place). Go and play in the studio, throw everything at the wall, see what sticks! Hear me out when I tell you that you have access to the most knowledge, support, and specialist equipment you’ll ever have - don’t sleep on that. You’ll miss it when it’s gone, and I promise you get out what you give to this place. Make it your creative playground and you’ll have an infinitely better time here. And you‘ll most likely meet some incredible people along the way!"
Finally, what are you looking forward to most about the coming academic year?
"I’m looking forward to leaving the Union in a better place than I found it, hopefully. It’s been a long journey to get this far, and we’ve got a way to go yet, but I really believe in this organisation and the people who work here. I love UCA, and the Students’ Union, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about where I could go next.
I’m looking forward to squeezing everything I can out of this last year to make the most difference I can, and I hope you’ll join me!"
If you haven't had the chance to meet Cassie in person yet, why not head down to our upcoming Meet Your Union event?
Tuesday 26 November, 11.30AM - 2PM
UCA Canterbury, in The Lounge