2027 CANDIDATES

Personal Statements

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Meet Emily Evans

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Marketing & Communications Assistant Director

I am currently studying a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts at the University of Notre Dame Australia and am applying for the positions of Communications & Marketing Assistant Director and Law Representative on the SAUNDA Student Board. I would love the opportunity to become more actively involved in university life, contribute to the Notre Dame community and help ensure students feel informed, represented and encouraged to participate in the opportunities available to them.

My involvement in the Notre Dame community has already become an important part of my university experience. I currently serve as Secretary of the Notre Dame Vinnies Society, where I primarily manage meetings and work closely with the Presidents to support effective communication and organisation within the society. I also assist with additional tasks as needed and participate in a number of the Society's in-person activities. This role has taught me the importance of clear communication, reliability and working collaboratively behind the scenes to ensure a student organisation operates effectively.

This experience is one of the reasons I am particularly interested in the Communications & Marketing Assistant Director position. I have seen how important effective communication is in keeping students informed and engaged. I would enjoy helping SAUNDA communicate events, initiatives and opportunities in ways that are clear, accessible and genuinely engaging to students. I would bring creativity and enthusiasm to the position, while also recognising the importance of organisation, consistency and ensuring information is communicated accurately and on time.

The Law Representative position also strongly appeals to me because I understand firsthand the opportunities and challenges that come with studying law at Notre Dame. Law can be academically demanding, particularly when students are balancing classes and assessments with employment, volunteering and other commitments. I would like to provide an approachable point of contact for law students and ensure their ideas, concerns and experiences are genuinely represented within SAUNDA.

Alongside my studies and university involvement, I currently work as a Shift Supervisor at Chatime. Leading a team in a fast-paced environment has strengthened my communication, organisation and problem-solving skills. I regularly manage competing priorities, work with different personalities, respond to concerns and take responsibility for ensuring tasks are completed effectively. This experience has taught me that good leadership involves taking initiative while also listening to and working collaboratively with others.

My commitment to community involvement also extends beyond campus through volunteering with the St Vincent de Paul Society's Buddies Day program. Combined with my role as Secretary of the Vinnies Society, these experiences have encouraged me to become more involved in the Notre Dame community and have reinforced the value of creating environments where people feel welcomed, included and encouraged to participate.

If selected as Communications & Marketing Assistant Director, I would aim to help make SAUNDA's communication engaging, consistent and relevant to students. I would be particularly interested in finding ways to increase awareness of events and opportunities among students who may not already be heavily involved in university life. I would also work closely with the wider team to ensure communication supports SAUNDA's broader goals and reflects what students actually want to see.

As Law Representative, I would aim to be an accessible and proactive representative. Rather than assuming what law students want, I would actively seek feedback from students across different year groups and communicate their perspectives to SAUNDA. I would also help promote relevant opportunities and initiatives and strengthen the connection between law students and the broader Notre Dame community.

I believe my experience as Secretary of the Notre Dame Vinnies Society, my leadership experience through employment and my perspective as a current law student would allow me to contribute meaningfully to either position. I would bring enthusiasm, reliability, creativity and a willingness to take initiative and help wherever needed. Most importantly, I would value the opportunity to contribute further to the Notre Dame community and help create a student experience in which people feel informed, represented and connected.

Meet Mary June Raine Velasquez

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Education Representative

  2. Marketing & Communications Assistant Director

Hi! My name is Mary June Raine M. Velasquez, but most people know me as MJ. I am an international student studying Early Childhood Education at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Moving to Australia to pursue my studies was a leap of faith that pushed me outside my comfort zone. While it has come with its challenges, it has also made me appreciate how important it is to have a supportive and welcoming university community. As an international student, I understand how meaningful it is to feel connected, heard, and valued, and this is something I hope to contribute to at Notre Dame.

I would like to run for the position of Communications & Marketing Assistant Director or Education Representative because I want to be more involved in the Notre Dame community and contribute to student life. I would love to help keep students informed, promote activities, and create opportunities for students to feel more connected and involved.

I have previous leadership experience as a Student Council President in my home country, the Philippines. My role involved planning and implementing school events, as well as working with other student leaders and teachers to develop strategies that could improve our school community, particularly in areas such as student safety and sustainability. This experience taught me how to take initiative, work with different people, and turn ideas into action.

Being part of the student council also gave me experience in communications and promotions, from sharing announcements and promoting events to creating posters and social media content. I enjoyed finding ways to communicate information that were clear and engaging for students.

I have also been involved in volunteering and community outreach, including volunteering with San Lorenzo Ruiz–Chemin Neuf Philippines, where I had the opportunity to support children and take part in outreach activities for people experiencing homelessness. These experiences taught me the value of service, empathy, and being willing to give my time to help others. They also reminded me that small efforts can make a meaningful difference in someone's life.

As an Education Representative, I would be happy to represent students in the School of Education and listen to their experiences, especially when it comes to balancing university, placements, work, and personal responsibilities. I hope to be someone students can approach and feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns with.

If given the opportunity, I hope to contribute to Notre Dame through the skills and experiences I have gained while continuing to learn from the people around me. For me, being a student representative is not just about having a title, but about being present, getting involved, and doing something meaningful for the student community.

Volunteering: https://www.chemin-neuf.ph/apostolates/social-works/

Meet Kiara Beard

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Events Director (Broadway)

I am applying for Events Director, Broadway as my first preference and SSAF Director as my second preference.

I am particularly interested in Events Director because I have really enjoyed being involved in SAUNDA this year and would love the opportunity to take a more direct role in creating events that students genuinely want to attend. Through my current role as SAUNDA Secretary, I have developed a strong understanding of how SAUNDA operates and the practical work required behind the scenes to deliver successful initiatives.

This year, I have also been actively involved in organising SAUNDA events, including sourcing and communicating with vendors, considering budgets, coordinating activities across Broadway and Darlinghurst, and developing ideas that balance student engagement with responsible spending. Outside SAUNDA, my involvement with the Notre Dame Sydney Law Society has given me further experience with event planning, venues, suppliers, budgeting, sponsorship, promotion and responding quickly when circumstances change.

If elected Events Director, I would focus on delivering a varied and engaging calendar at Broadway. I would like to combine popular food events with larger social activities and interactive experiences, while ensuring events appeal to students across different faculties and year groups. I would also work closely with the Darlinghurst Events Director to ensure both campuses receive meaningful opportunities while recognising their different student populations and needs.

I am also applying for SSAF Director because I am interested in the strategic side of student representation and ensuring student funding is used effectively, transparently and in ways that provide genuine value. My experience as Secretary has given me insight into SAUNDA’s governance, decision making and responsibilities to the broader student body.

As SSAF Director, I would work closely with the Executive and portfolio directors to plan expenditure strategically, identify initiatives with the greatest student benefit and ensure funding decisions are supported by clear reasoning and appropriate documentation.

For either role, I would bring organisation, reliability, enthusiasm and a strong commitment to improving the student experience through SAUNDA.

 

Meet Allyria Weston

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Education Representative

  2. Events Director (Broadway)

Hey! I’m Allyria Weston, also known as the girl who screams and laughs the courtyard down, otherwise known as the girl with the weird and eccentric fashion tastes, and most formally known as an English and theatre majoring undergrad Secondary Education student. Without overstating myself, I feel comfortable in saying that I’m an exceedingly passionate and sociable person, and fairly studious as well, or at least, I’ve been successful in balancing my workload alongside my other commitments and responsibilities. In my first semester alone I’ve had the indescribable privilege of meeting and befriending so many incredibly kind and talented individuals, and I owe it entirely to this beautiful institution. The air of social engagement constantly perpetuated and upheld by the beauty of the campus, approachability of staff and support, and dedication of the esteemed members of the Student Board and SAUNDA have only made my studies and student experience that much more enjoyable and gratifying. It is due to the outstanding efforts and commitments made by the esteemed members of Notre Dame that my desire to represent and uphold the university’s values of community and academic excellence is so strongly passionate. As such, I offer my experiences in roles of leadership, teamwork, and community engagement. Most recently and notably, I auditioned for and earned the opportunity to act and perform in the student directorial showcase held last semester. In my time working alongside various student actors and directors, I grew immensely comfortable in offering conversation and contribution to the final products of performance, despite my initial anxiety being a first-year amongst students further in their studies. However, even with my newfound confidence and sociability, I also practiced and refined my patience in managing my outspokenness and instead focused on where I could uplift the voices and actions of my fellow peers and actors. This marks just one of the many instances in which I’ve been so fortunate to meet, interact with and work alongside the friendly and amicable personalities of individuals I am lucky to call peers. I revel in any and all opportunities I can take that involve supporting current students, friends or strangers, or meeting entirely new people. I would therefore be significantly grateful and above all honoured to be considered to represent these phenomenal grounds and people I’ve grown to know as my community. I look forward to establishing, achieving and maintaining further student support and interconnectedness.

Meet Phillip Lipson

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Arts & Sciences Representative

  2. Undergraduate Representative

I'm Phillip Lipson, first year Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Politics and Journalism. If you've had even a two minute conversation with me, you already know I'm not a quiet person. I'll talk to anyone in the coffee line, I'm the one whose hand goes up first in tutes, and when I ask how your day's going I actually want the real answer, not the polite one. That's the kind of energy I think student representation is missing sometimes: people who genuinely like talking to people, not just talking about them in a meeting. I'm putting my hand up for Undergraduate Representative and Arts and Sciences Representative on the SAUNDA Student Board.

Honestly, part of it is I don't want my first year here to be something I just quietly got through, I want to actually leave a mark on it. Starting uni is a lot, new city, new timetable, new absolutely everyone, and you're kind of expected to just work it out. I got lucky and found people early on who looked out for me, and I want to be that for someone else this year. As Undergraduate Rep I'd be speaking up for students no matter their year or degree, and as Arts and Sciences Rep I'd be fighting for my own faculty specifically, since I'm in the same overloaded tutorials and clashing timetables as everyone else. It's not theoretical for me. Debating and public speaking have basically shaped who I am outside of class. They taught me the actual skill representation needs: arguing hard for something without turning it into a personal ego thing.

I'm currently Sgan (Co-Head) of my youth group's NSW chapter, so I'm used to running events and making calls that real people are affected by, not theoretical ones. I'm also hopefully about to become President of Pivot CBD Regions, which will only add to that, leading a team while still answering to the people I'm meant to be serving. If I get in, here's what I actually want to do:

The Board already runs a monthly newsletter, so I'm not reinventing that wheel, but I reckon there's a gap for something quicker, like a sixty second video recap for people who'll watch a story on Instagram before they'll read a bulletin. I also want proper open forums and debate style Q&A nights each semester, so students can push back on us in person instead of shouting into a feedback form nobody reads. And as a first year myself, I want a peer mentoring program going, pairing new students with someone who remembers how full on week one is.

I'm not chasing a title here. I want to actually show up, keep showing up, and be loud enough that students know somebody in that room is genuinely fighting their corner. I'd be genuinely proud to be that person as Undergraduate Rep and Arts and Sciences Rep on the SAUNDA Student Board.

Meet Alexander Woolnough

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Arts & Sciences Representative

  2. Undergraduate Representative

To the Notre Dame community,

My name is Alex Woolnough. I’m currently a third-year student studying a double degree – a Bachelor of Communications and Media/Bachelor of Arts – and majoring in journalism, film and screen production, and politics and international relations. I am applying for the roles of either the Representative of the School of Arts and Sciences or the Undergraduate Representative.

I’ve always been interested in the opportunity to serve SAUNDA. When I decided to study at Notre Dame, I wasn’t just interested in the smaller, tight-knit community the university has fostered since its founding, but I was also interested to see how a university like Notre Dame succeeds in the competitive field of tertiary education. I’ve since learned through my experiences as a student, and as a freelance writer reporting on events and initiatives within and around Notre Dame, that the passion and dedication of its students are vital. I’ve always had a similar passion for helping the institutions I serve thrive. In this vein, I believe being a member of the Student Board, and SAUNDA more broadly, would be an incredible opportunity to help this Notre Dame continue to flourish, from both an educational and cultural perspective.

While this would be my first representative experience within the university, I’ve held other positions in other institutions which I believe will lend assistance to the role. As a freelance writer for a number of publications, I’ve been able to develop a level of composure when under pressure in order to deliver products and my skills to the best of my abilities. I find similar skills are applicable to the role of Arts and Sciences Representative or Undergraduate Representative. The ability to provide Notre Dame students with the direction and confidence to continue in their degree, while also enabling for students to experience a comfortable social life at the university requires a Representative who is not only familiar with the pressures and stresses of university life, but who has experienced similar feelings in everyday occurrences and in the workplace. I believe I can bring this familiarity to either role if elected.

I plan to represent the Notre Dame community by being present and available through any forms of communication to aid any students who feel disenfranchised or concerned with their current or commencing university path. I also would like to collaborate with both students and faculty, and understand where both groups believe the School of Arts and Sciences, and the university more broadly, can not only continue to provide and inspire confident and successful students but also expand the university’s ethos and vision, grounded in educating the whole of a student, rather than simply extending their knowledge.

I hope in the upcoming elections you will consider me for either the role of Representative for the School of Arts and Sciences or Undergraduate Representative.

Meet Imogen Taylor

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Education Representative

I am a passionate, motivated and approachable student who values community, teamwork and making the most of every opportunity. Throughout my university experience, I have developed a strong interest in education, leadership and creating positive experiences for the people around me. I enjoy being involved, meeting new people and working collaboratively towards a common goal, which is why I am excited about the opportunity to join SAUNDA or the Student Board and contribute to the Notre Dame community.

My experience has taught me the importance of communication, leadership and representing others. Through playing rugby and being involved in competitive sport, I have developed strong teamwork, resilience, commitment and leadership skills. Being selected to travel to the United States to play rugby was an especially valuable experience, as it challenged me to adapt to a new environment, work with different people and represent something bigger than myself. Sport has shown me how important it is to make everyone feel included and valued, and I would bring this same attitude to the Student Board.

I have also gained experience working with young people through debating and education. My work teaching debating has strengthened my confidence in communicating with different groups of people, listening to different perspectives and encouraging others to have a voice. As a student studying education, I have developed a genuine passion for supporting others and contributing to positive learning and university experiences.

If selected, I would aim to represent the Notre Dame community by being approachable, enthusiastic and willing to listen. I would make an effort to understand the experiences and concerns of students across different courses, year groups and backgrounds, rather than only representing my own perspective. I believe a strong student representative should be someone students feel comfortable approaching and someone who is willing to turn their ideas and concerns into meaningful action.

I would love the opportunity to contribute my energy, teamwork, leadership and perspective to SAUNDA or the Student Board. Most importantly, I want to help create a university community where students feel connected, supported, heard and proud to be part of Notre Dame.

Meet Hareem Ahmad

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Health Sciences (Biomedical) Representative

  2. Undergraduate Representative

Coming to Notre Dame from a small town (Wagga Wagga) was one of the biggest changes I have experienced. Growing up in a rurally, I was used to a close community where people knew and looked out for each other. Moving to Sydney to study Biomedical Science meant leaving that behind and starting again in a city where I knew almost no one. Like many first years, I found the first few weeks exciting but overwhelming. Looking back, it wasn't memorising my timetable or finding my classrooms that helped me settle but the people who introduced themselves, invited me to sit with them, or took a few minutes to answer a question. Those small acts of kindness shaped my experience and is part of why I want to be member of SAUNDA.

This year, I have had the amazing opportunity to serve as a First Year Representative on the Healthsoc Committee. I have attempted to promote events like our Pub Nights and Ball, encouraged first year students to get involved, and represented student feedback within committee discussions. Through this role, I have realised that good representation isn't about being the loudest, but, about being approachable and making sure students know there’s someone who will advocate for them.

My passion for leadership began well before university. During the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), I completed a two year Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) project focused on Chronic Illness Awareness. Inspired by the experiences of people close to me, I planned and led a community fundraiser. I secured sponsorships from local businesses, coordinated volunteers, managed promotion and logistics. We raised over $3,000 and collected more than 300 teddy bears for children in hospital. I also volunteered at the Rotary Book Fair and helped coordinate a Gaza Aid Festival, strengthening my communication, organisation and teamwork.

Therefore, as a Biomedical Science Representative, I want to strengthen our degree community. I’d introduce first-year/third-year mentoring, pre major assessment revision sessions, and career and research evenings with teachers, academic and/or alumni. I also want to improve communication about scholarships, volunteering and postgraduate pathways so students can make the most of Notre Dame. As an Undergraduate Representative, I would introduce a student ideas initiative where anyone can submit suggestions throughout the semester, with the most supported ideas discussed with SAUNDA and updates provided on actions taken. Additionally, I want to create social opportunities across degrees to build connections, like the Elysium Club’s Ball, which unfortunately had to be postponed.

I want to represent students by listening to their concerns, turning their ideas into practical initiatives, and keeping them informed. I know how much those small acts of inclusion can matter, and if elected, I want to help create that sense of community for others throughout their time at Notre Dame.

Meet Gayatri Nair

Candidate for (in order of preference)

  1. Health Sciences (Biomedical) Representative

  2. Undergraduate Representative

Hi! I’m Gayatri Nair, and I’m currently a second-year Biomedical Science student. If you asked my friends to describe me, I’m sure “creative, ” “energetic” and “can talk for hours” would make the list. Outside of studying, you’ll usually find me painting, dancing, or convincing myself (and everyone around me) that getting Yochi is an essential part of my weekly routine. I love the little things that make uni feel fun, like enjoying sausage sizzles in the courtyard or staying back after class with friends to “lock in” . It’s those little connections and memories that have made me love being part of the tight-knit Notre Dame community, and they’re exactly what I want to help create for other students too.

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved at uni in a few different ways. I’m currently the Sponsorship Director for the HealthSoc, as well as the Communications and Marketing Director of Notre Dame Sydney Performing Arts Club. Through these roles, I’ve been able to create opportunities for students, work with different groups across the university and meet amazing people I probably wouldn’t have otherwise!

I’m also a Peer Academic Coach, which has given me a completely different perspective on student life. While supporting other students, I regularly hear about the frustrations they experience, and whether it’s struggling with a subject, feeling overwhelmed or simply wanting something about university to work a little better, I’ve learnt that sometimes the most important thing you can do is listen. I want to bring that perspective into SAUNDA and make sure students feel heard.

I’m applying for the SAUNDA Representative positions because I want to be a voice for students and help make university life better both inside and outside the classroom. I will aim to advocate for better academic support and communication, while also creating more opportunities for students to connect, get involved and build friendships. University can sometimes feel overwhelming, and I think having a strong sense of community makes the biggest difference. Most importantly, I’ll bring the same energy and openness that I bring to my other roles at Notre Dame to be a representative who is approachable, enthusiastic and genuinely willing to listen. I don’t want students to feel like their concerns disappear into a suggestion box. I want to hear them, bring them to light, no matter how big or small it may be, and work towards making things better.

I’d love the opportunity to bring my energy, creativity and, of course, my love of a good yap to SAUNDA so that Notre Dame feels like a place where everyone feels included, supported and excited to be part of the community!