Where Are They Now – Miriam Williams

Next up this week is MIRIAM WILLIAMS who was elected Welsh Affairs Officer and UMCA President in 2014-15 and is currently Marketing and Programming Officer at Literature Wales.

Why did you choose that role?

It was something I felt passionate about, wanted to give something back to the community, fight for students’ rights and I also didn’t want to leave Aber!!

What are your favourite memory from standing in the elections and becoming a Full-time Officer?

Meeting my candidates. I remember Will (Atkinson) helping me put my banner up just after midnight after campaigning began and Grace send me a message wishing me good luck in the elections. Little did I know that we’d become close friends following our year in officer. I remember how nice everyone was, and how everyone helped each other regardless if they were competing against each other or not.

What do you think you learnt from standing in the elections and becoming a Full-time Officer?

Confidence was a big thing; I would never get up and speak in front of people I didn’t know before. By the end of my year in officer it was like second nature.

What advice do you have for anyone thinking of standing in the elections?

Go for it, don't be put off by the fact that someone else is running and you don’t think you’d win against them. You’ve got just as much chance as they do, plus, winning isn’t everything. Running in an election will give you so much experience and teach you so many things, it’s a bonus if you’re elected at the end.

If you could go back would you do it all again? If not what would you do differently?

Yes, in a heartbeat. I’d try to think about what’s important and try to prioritise those things. Time flies and before you know it your year is over and you look back and think, “why didn’t I do that?”.

If you could sum up your experiences in five words what would they be?

Challenging, Worthwhile, Emotional, Proud, Fantastic