Meet Phoebe Daniels, your newly elected Students' Union President representing you at the University for the Creative Arts Farnham! Phoebe has recently finished studing Fine Art at UCA Farnham, graduating recently in July 2025!
We asked Phoebe a few questions about being elected as our Farnham 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 election as a president at UCA Students’ Union?
I just really wanted to help the students. I struggled a lot as a student, for different reasons, some of which could be easily fixed. It didn’t seem like change was happening for the students, so I thought ‘why don’t I do it?’. I wanted to run for election so I can actually make those changes and hopefully make it easier for the students who come after me. There’s a sentiment that students are meant to struggle while at university, especially financially, and I don’t think it should be like that at all. I wanted to be able to make changes at UCA that alleviate some of those struggles.
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?
My big campaign for the year is to begin working with the university and the local community to create a student food bank to help support students through the cost-of-living crisis. Access to good and healthy food is so important for personal and academic development and introducing a cheap and easy way for students to access that is my main goal. During my time as president, I am aiming to improve communications between the university and the students, so students are always fully informed, especially about topics concerning them and their student experience. In addition to this, I hope to add more colour to the campus by creating more artistic opportunities for students to showcase their talents.
How can UCA students get involved with your campaigns?
Come find me in the SU office in Farnham and have a chat! Our goal as presidents is to make positive changes for students, so I'd love to know your opinions and ideas on different topics. Getting more student involvement in campaigns is so important to make sure it is right for students, so I’d love your help. I really hope to work with as many students as possible in the next year and any involvement with my campaigns would be so appreciated and encouraged.
What advice would you give to our new intake of students to ensure they get the best from their university experience?
Honestly, just take every opportunity you can. I know it sounds cliche and nothing is ever that easy, but I found myself getting so much more from the student experience when I stopped holding myself back. I’m not the best at meeting new people or putting myself out there, but once I realised that the only one missing out was me, it changed my outlook. Try new things, meet new people, do something you never would’ve done before. This is your chance to make mistakes and see what you’re capable of, and you never know, you might just really surprise yourself.
Finally, what are you looking forward to most about the coming academic year?
I am most looking forward to working with the current and new students to find out what is important to them and make their ideas a reality. I’m really eager to help students and really try and make a difference. It’s important to me that students’ voices are represented and uplifted and I’m looking forward to making that possible and giving the students a platform to express themselves.