Forge Press sat down with Sana Memon, who is running for the role of International and Welfare Officer in this year’s Student Union Officer elections and asked about her campaign.
When asked about why she is running, Sana said that during her work with the International societies committee and the Student Union she realised that she loves being there for people and helping with representation of international students.
The first point of her manifesto is to integrate international and home students: “It is such an important point that we sort of brush over and just the idea of the fact that international students live in the city and home students live in Endcliffe and such, I feel like because of that that one main part of why International students feel secluded and ostracised and they have come so far away and I want them to feel like its their city as well.”
The second main point of her manifesto is to prevent international students from being vulnerable to scholarships and grants being scrapped. Sana said: “I want to fight for them because they do pay 3x the fee a home student pays and they do come here leaving most of their family behind.”
Her final point is to increase the representation of international students in varsity to help improve their mental health.
The first thing Sana wants to do if she wins is to create an international student mentor scheme, with previous international students so new students can learn about all of the opportunities Sheffield can offer- like Peak District hikes which Sana says she definitely recommends.
Sana said: “At the moment while there is guidance for them I don’t think there is as much guidance as telling them what is on and what they can do. The amount of societies we have at Sheffield, the amount of places we have in Sheffield and I think having that mentor scheme and having someone to rely on would be beneficial”.
When asked what she would do if the university gave her an unlimited budget, she said she would create a third space for students where people of all cultures and communities could come and craft and relax: “It’s something that everyone can do and it invites all cultures and all people”.
Over the next week you might see Sana in the different accommodation buildings and across the city in her cowboy hat, talking to people about what they need from the International and Welfare officer.
