What attracted you to become a Student Trustee?
Ever since getting involved with UHI and HISA, I’ve developed a deep passion for improving the student experience. What attracted me to the Student Trustee role is the opportunity to represent students from all backgrounds and stages of life and to bring their voices directly into the heart of governance. Far too often, governance is shaped by people with long-established ideals and limited flexibility. I want to challenge that. I believe in open-minded leadership – leadership that listens, adapts, and grows alongside the students it serves. My goal is to act as a vessel for the student voice and ensure fresh, creative, and inclusive ideas are considered at the highest level.
Briefly tell us about your course
I’m currently studying Business at NQ Level 6 at UHI Argyll. The course explores how a wide range of organisations, including public, private, and non-profit, operate, grow, and respond to challenges. It covers everything from profit strategies and crisis management to ethical practice and legal compliance. I’ve especially enjoyed learning how businesses handle both positive and negative publicity, and how they adapt in a constantly changing world. This course has helped me build my confidence in time management, problem-solving, and understanding the key components of running and supporting an organisation, particularly in areas like finance and marketing.
What is your fondest memory of being a student?
Before I joined the Board of Trustees, my fondest memory as a student was getting involved with HISA during my first year, when I became a student officer. I had the opportunity to serve in that role for two years, and it really opened my eyes to what being part of UHI meant. Later on, I continued to take part in the elections and stayed connected to the student voice. What made it all so memorable wasn’t the titles or the roles – it was the students. I met so many incredible people from all across UHI, all studying different things, all with amazing academic journeys. Just getting to speak with them, hear what they care about, and see what they bring to the table – that’s what made my experience as a student so special. It’s something I’ll always carry with me.
What inspires and/or motivates you?
What truly inspires me are the students here at UHI. They’ve always been my reason for stepping into these roles. Their strength, their passion, their determination – it's what keeps me going. I am nothing compared to them. The challenges they face every day – struggling with heating, food, accommodation – and yet they continue to show up, to learn, to grow. That resilience is powerful.
These students are incredible. They deserve to be protected, respected, and supported. I want to make sure no one is ever held back from reaching their goals. I want UHI and HISA to always hold a progressive, fresh mindset – one that ensures every student is seen, heard, and free to be who they are.
I hope for a better tomorrow – but until then, I will fight for it. Because the students are the heart of everything I do. And they are the heart of HISA.
What do you hope to bring to the Trustee Board?
I hope to bring a fresh perspective. As a younger student still in the early stages of my academic journey, I understand the challenges students face every day – from financial pressure to feeling overlooked. I want to make sure that student mental health is always part of the conversation, and that every decision made by the board truly reflects the best interests of those we represent.
As someone with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, I also want to represent the voices of neurodiverse students – voices that are often unheard or misunderstood. My hope is to help the board better understand how to support students like me and create an environment where neurodiversity is acknowledged, respected, and actively supported. It’s important that people from all walks of life – including those with different ways of thinking and learning – are part of decision-making at the highest level.
HISA has always been driven by students, and I want to continue that legacy, but with new ideas that reflect today’s world. We can’t rely on the same statements or stick to outdated approaches. While our mission to serve and support students should never change, the way we carry it out must evolve.
I hope to bring progressive, student-led thinking to the board, ideas that are modern, inclusive, and responsive to what students care about right now. Because the future of HISA should be shaped by the students it serves, every single day.