Reuben
Hi, I’m Reuben, an international law student from Malaysia. I’ve been a Student Trustee since 2023. I felt really supported by Guild and University initiatives during their first –year and wanted to give back to improving student satisfaction in the Guild.
Shaping the Guild’s direction, ensuring students are at the heart of every decision.
Who are you and what’s your big idea?
Trustees are responsible for developing the Guild’s strategy, maintaining proper oversight of its finances, and ensuring it is pursuing its charitable objectives. As a student trustee, I use my perspective as a student at the University to shape Guild policy and hold ourselves accountable to our student members.
What made you go for it?
I saw the position being advertised and I thought it would be something I’d like to try applying for. I wanted to use my skills and lived experience to help everyone enjoy University as much as I did.
What’s been your “YES! I did that” moment so far?
I think this would have to be about a year ago when we settled the Guild’s SUSS Pension liability. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I can’t believe we’ve just given the green light on a £5 million transaction!’. Making this big decision made me realise the sheer scale of change being a trustee can affect.
Why does this matter to students?
Students are at the heart of our work, which focuses on making students love their time at Exeter as much as possible. For example, settling the SUSS Pension liability means more money for the Guild to spend on activities and initiatives for students. Additionally, we’re keen on promoting sustainable development wherever possible in both an economic and social sense. We want to be able to continue supporting students and communities for the years to come!
What’s one thing that surprised you on this journey?
What surprised me most was the sheer volume of work going on behind the scenes that students may not necessarily be aware of. Having to think not just about ways to improve the student experience, but also on ensuring the effectiveness of the Guild as a whole was difficult!
What’s your top tip for any student who wants to create change?
My top tip is to be informed. You don’t have to know everything about how the Guild works – you can learn that on the job. But it is important to understand the sorts of issues affecting student communities at Exeter and in general across the higher education sector, and to be passionate as to affecting positive change in this regard.
Sum up your journey in three words.
If your changemaker journey had a theme song, what would it be?
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