Canterbury College - Meet Andrew - Your New SU President

Meet Andrew - Your New SU President

Canterbury College Students' Union (SU) has announced the winners of the leadership race for President and Vice President for the upcoming academic year. We caught up with Andrew Morris, your newly elected President, about his plans for the upcoming year.

What do you study at College?

I've spent the last three years at Canterbury College studying Animal Care and Animal Management, alongside my Maths GCSE.

What influenced your decision to study this course?

After being in full-time employment for over seven years, I felt that I needed a change of a career. I decided to return to College after ten years and gain a new set of skills and progress to university so that I could achieve my ambition to become a vet.

How has your course helped you make the most of your role in the SU?

My tutors have allowed me more freedom and flexibility on my course so that I had time to work on projects with the SU. Having this freedom helped me throw myself into my role and cope with the pressures of college after my Father died. The support from my tutors gave me the drive to organise events for students and make the Learner Voice heard.

How do you plan to spend your year as Canterbury's President?

I would like to see the College become more environmentally friendly. On top of this, I will be ensuring any price increases in food are mirrored in the quality of meals. I am also passionate about increasing inclusivity for mature learners and creating platforms for all types of students. I am going to throw myself into the President and ensure that our SU is fully interactive and effective. I will be entering vocal discussions about what the students want and need in order to thrive at College. Being a mature student, I also work and have a family to look after, so I have to schedule a time for everything and compartmentalise so that things don't get too disorganised.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about getting involved with the SU?

A role within the SU is a commitment and you must be ready to balance your coursework with the role. Coursework comes first, but you need to be willing to get stuck in when needed. It's a common misconception that the SU does nothing but in the past, we have held social events, advocated for students' rights on a national level and worked hard behind the scenes to make sure everything happens to gain support for our students.

What are your plans for the future?

My ultimate goal is to progress to veterinary school and graduate as a Vet. I want to give back to the animals that I feel have given me so much. If that doesn't work out I'd love to work in conservation and with elephants.