SU Spring Elections 2026: Part-Time Officer Q&As
As part of our coverage of the Warwick Students’ Union’s (SU) Spring Elections 2026, The Boar offered all 18 candidates for the five contested Part-Time Officer positions an opportunity to answer two questions setting out their experience, motivations for running, and key manifesto commitments.
Eight candidates across four positions responded as follows:
Environment & Ethics Officer
Shen Jie Yaw (he/him)
What makes you best suited for the position you hope to win?
I am highly experienced. My track record includes CO2 emission cuts equal to 300 UK households (a typical village), and £150k savings, both annually, at the Lord Bhattacharyya Building on campus. This involved detailed analysis of the building’s operations, with a staged implementation plan and constant communication with building partners. I developed strong working relationships with Estates and WMG Facilities teams, which I will leverage to shape and scrutinise campus operations and projects.
I have extensive experience in managing policy and change across large institutions. My work in the Civil Service within Government Policy across the two-child benefit cap and £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund required me to align stakeholders, produce holistic, data-driven analysis, and communicate results. I am further undertaking a summer internship in Natural England, examining national environmental policy.
Overall, I possess the experience and determination to deliver on my pledges at scale.
Bold change. Real impact.
What is one thing you want to achieve in the position?
My focus is on enabling sustainable practices while accelerating urgent, institutional change, to achieve the 2030 net zero target. My pledges, across three core areas spanning improved travel, campus sustainability, and social responsibility, will make it even easier for students to act sustainably, such as expanding bike racks and recycling bins, or promoting green careers.
Institutionally, I will also mandate improved transparency and accountability – the University does not include the Lord Bhattacharyya Building in reporting, claiming it is “primarily occupied by third parties” despite extensive WMG facilities on site. The student voice should always be heard, and I will rigorously challenge decisions in pursuit of sustainable outcomes.
I am committed to embed a sustainability culture and empower students to actively shape a green campus, from making lecture halls feeling fresher to expanding bike hire availability. I will diligently work across all university areas to deliver large scale, and transparent, change.
Ethnic Minorities Officer
Safiya Patel (she/her)
What makes you best suited for the position you hope to win?
Growing up in a diverse, multicultural city in England, I saw first-hand the positive impact that bringing different communities together can have. Warwick is an incredibly diverse university, and it would be an honour to help it thrive even further by celebrating and strengthening that multiculturalism.
I also have practical experience doing this. In sixth form, I helped run my school’s Asian Society and organised a cross-cultural day that brought students together through dance, food, and activities from around the world. It showed me how powerful shared cultural experiences can be in building understanding.
Alongside this, I have also worked with youth charities where I helped amplify young people’s voices and advocate for issues that matter to them. I would bring the same commitment to the Ethnic Minorities Role with listening to issues, representing the people, and action the needs and wants from students.
What is one thing you want to achieve in the position?
If I had to choose one priority, it would be strengthening collaboration between cultural societies. Warwick has so many vibrant cultural groups, but there is often limited interaction between them, and I believe that there is huge potential for more cross-society collaboration.
The more we learn about each other’s cultures, the more we build on mutual understanding, respect, and stronger communities. I want to help create more opportunities for societies to work together through joint events and shared celebrations, showcasing what makes you, you.
To make this happen, I would work closely with the SU and cultural societies to improve communication and ensure groups feel supported when organising collaborative events. By helping societies connect and share their cultures with one another, we can make Warwick an even more inclusive and united campus.
Widening Participation Officer
Féth McPato (he/him) and Mafi Quinn (he/it)
What makes you best suited for the position you hope to win?
Widening Participation (WP) has defined our student experience and is the reason we’re still here, specifically estrangement. We both fell through the cracks and been in the trenches many seem to forget/don’t know about: no fixed place of residence, no support network and no safety net to catch us.
All we have is each other at University which makes us want to build on the community that represents our adversity. What we’ve struggled through in estrangement isn’t a competition or a comparison to others, rather it’s taught us who we are as young leaders to advocate and represent you because it is a matter of “life-or-death”. We matter, and no one can take that away from us, nor you, and we want to make it clear to others that we are not there to be ignored.
What is one thing you want to achieve in the position?
A WP Handbook: establishing a go-to resource will be massive to guide and signpost people. We want this both for those who will need it and those who are just curious or want to learn more – it’s meant to be accessible and a giant guide. Plus, it’s something we could’ve used when we were in crisis mode ourselves.
Humera Patel (she/her)
What makes you best suited for the position you hope to win?
As a Widening Participation student myself, I understand how challenging navigating university can feel when you lack the same resources, networks, or guidance as others. My lived experience allows me to genuinely understand the barriers many students face, from financial pressures to commuting or feeling out of place in university spaces. Alongside this, my leadership experience as a Student Union Executive at my sixth form and my work in fast-paced team environments have strengthened my ability to communicate, organize, and represent others effectively. I am committed to ensuring widening participation students are not only represented but actively heard in decision-making spaces across the Union and University.
What is one thing you want to achieve in the position?
One key goal I want to achieve is improving support and visibility for commuting students. Many widening participation students commute to university and can often feel excluded from campus life because events and opportunities are designed around living on campus or taking place late at night. I want to establish a Commuter Society that creates a supportive community for these students through accessible events, networking opportunities, and a space to share their experiences. This initiative would also help advocate for more inclusive scheduling across the Union so that all students, regardless of where they live, can feel part of the Warwick community.
Mia Mattu (she/her)
What makes you best suited for the position you hope to win?
I am a student from Coventry who was offered two contextual offers and the Warwick Scholarship. This has been integral to me being able to study here and explore a life so different from my prior education. At times, it can be overwhelming to realise that a few miles from where I grew up is one of the best universities in the UK, with resources and opportunity beyond imagination. I have made it my mission to make the most of student life, but there are still significant barriers affecting me and so many other widening participation students from achieving that. My experience in a low-income area has taught me to make the most of these resources, and working with young people in an area that many students admit they are still afraid of makes me committed to my goals of building inclusivity beyond face value.
What is one thing you want to achieve in the position?
One thing I would like to achieve as Widening Participation Officer is making it known that widening participation is not an afterthought for a diversity quota. I am unable to single out one of my policies as a sole achievement, as I believe they all work together to reflect to multifaceted reality of student life, and the many struggles faced by WP students. To fully engage with student life, having both material and support needs met is essential for WP students, and I would like to give every student at Warwick the opportunity to make the most of their time here. I am hoping that my policies don’t just benefit WP students, but reach all students to leave a lasting positive impact on the way the SU is run, and truly represent the diversity within our student body.
Women’s Officer
Isabella Link (she/her)
What makes you best suited for the position you hope to win?
Misogyny on this campus is massively underestimated, thought to have been overcome. And yet, women struggle every day at university, restricted by barriers both invisible and visible, unable to achieve their full potential. I believe I’m best suited for Women’s Officer, because I am committed to providing practical solutions for these issues, rather than just pacifying symbolism. Take for instance, menstrual health. It is true that the SU has previously provided some solutions, if meagre, to the challenges that period poverty poses to female students, but this hasn’t gone far enough. Offering free sanitary products and holding a one-day event to raise awareness does not support students with serious menstrual conditions that obstruct their academic performance, such as endometriosis. In this role, I would commit to improving support for affected students, support that isn’t simply a superficial facade of care. Warwick is broken, for women, and I will fix it.
What is one thing you want to achieve in the position?
I’m particularly passionate about increasing women’s safety on campus, both during the day and after dark. As a bartender, I’ve witnessed first-hand how prominent sexual harassment is for women on campus, especially when students are too intoxicated to get out of the situation, or realise that the situation could turn dangerous. Over 40% of female students report sexual harassment during their studies, with an additional 1 in 10 believing they have been spiked whilst enjoying student nightlife. Of course, this is an issue that would be impossible to fully rectify without improved government assistance, but I believe the SU could improve women’s experiences on campus. I will commit to introducing a women’s only club night in the Copper Rooms, to be held twice a term, to enable women to enjoy a night out worry-free. I will also improve anti-spiking measures, which previous officers have committed to, yet not enforced.
What makes you best suited for the position you hope to win?
I have a strong record of supporting women through peer mentoring, student journalism, community arts, and roles that require empathy, communication, and calm leadership. I listen deeply, am resilient and confident, respect every woman’s lived experience, and understand that womanhood is not a single story but a shared identity shaped by resilience and community. I’m committed to representing all self‑defining women at Warwick and creating spaces where women feel safe, heard, and supported; as well as having fun and celebrating what it means to be a woman.
What is one thing you want to achieve in the position?
I want to make campus safer for women by improving lighting and routes, increasing transparency around misconduct cases, strengthening support services, and ensuring SU venues have proper anti‑spiking measures, including reusable drink toppers. Safety is a right, and I want every woman at Warwick to feel protected and empowered. I also want to enhance opportunities for all women here, during and post-Warwick.
Zoë Holloway (she/her)
What makes you best suited for the position you hope to win?
I am a female second year student who has used the Report and Support system and believe in its importance. I believe that the voices of women, trans women and non binary people need to be platformed and their opinions represented. I share the views of Warwick Left soc, Antisexism society and the environmental values of Circuit. I have been Welfare and Socials for two socities. I am best suited to the role because I really care and want to be proactive about representing the women of Warwick University. I have experience organising events and chairing discussions/forums, always keeping accessibility and inclusion in mind. I will take a clear stand against homophobia, transphobia, racism and all forms of discrimination.
What is one thing you want to achieve in the position?
I want societies to be run more equitably and to be fairer, therefore I want to update the mandatory training that society execs, student council and student officers have on their intake. I will ensure information on recognising and reporting gender bias within societies and courses is included and update the information on recognsing harassment and the impact of being an active bystander. I want to ensure women’s safety on campus, promote Report and Support and the way it can be used anonymously. I want to continue the distribution of free period products across campus within the End Period Poverty initiative. I want to set up initiatives like forums or online spaces for people to share their issues on or around women’s safety so I can advocate and make specific changes on their behalf.
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