Canterbury College - Meet Bethany Lacey

What do you study at Canterbury College?

I am currently studying the Health and Care Level 3 Extended Diploma and I really enjoy my course.

What do you plan to do this year as the SU President?

I plan to promote welfare and wellbeing, the support services we have in College, as well as external services that people can receive support from for free.

Being the SU Welfare Officer last year has given me insight into how to do things at College and approach students. Rather than just having the ideas and not knowing how to put them together, I now have more of an idea how I would go about getting things across to students.

I really want to make students aware of the services the College already provides, such as the Clothes Bank, Food Bank and Emotional Wellbeing Centre. I want to encourage working towards preventing problems, rather than having to resolve them.

How do you think you will use the skills you have learnt on your course in this role?

I have studied a unit on Equality and Diversity as part of my course, and I understand how important it is to listen to people with different perspectives and attitudes towards life. I also think it is so important for everyone to be offered the same opportunities and make everything inclusive, regardless of things like illnesses, disabilities, religion and race.

Throughout my course I have been able to deliver speeches and presentations about mental health, wellbeing, and disabilities, so I am confident in public speaking, which will help me in this role.

Why did you want to apply to become the new SU President?

I really enjoyed being the SU Welfare Officer last year, but I had to have time off College because of a recent surgery for my scoliosis, so a lot of what I wanted to do last year couldn't go ahead.

I now have even more ideas and more confidence to speak to students, hear their views and opinions, and turn their thoughts into a reality.

I want to promote student voice and listen to what students want from their College experience, and I am not afraid to approach students and ask for their opinions.

What is your favourite thing about being a student at Canterbury College?

The sense of community and inclusion. I think that compared to a lot of other schools that I have been to, people are encouraged to be themselves and I don’t feel like there is much judgement. Canterbury College has a very welcoming environment.