Officer Blogs

 

KPA Vice-President Blog

Hi everyone! I’m Precious, your elected KPA Vice president. 

I came to Keele in 2025 from Lagos, Nigeria, for my MSc in Computer Science. Moving to a new country for my Master's was one of the biggest steps I've taken. Settling in as a postgraduate student, far from home, taught me how much it matters to feel seen and supported, not just academically, but as a whole person navigating a new place. That experience is a huge part of why I ran for this role, and why I care so deeply about making sure no postgraduate at Keele feels like they're figuring it out alone. The first event I attended with the KPA was the Afro-Caribbean night, and it showed me exactly what being part of a community feels like.  

Before stepping into this role, I was already involved in supporting the Keele community in different ways. As a Student Voice Representative for Computer Science, I gathered and communicated students' concerns to staff. As a Student Ambassador, I helped create welcoming experiences for prospective students and visitors.

One thing I wish I'd known before coming to Keele

I wish I'd known to get involved with KPA activities sooner rather than waiting to "settle in" first. The moment I joined, Keele started to feel like home. Also, how much of postgraduate life happens outside the classroom, through events, communities and connections you have to actively seek out.  

As Vice President, my role is all about making sure postgraduate students feel connected, supported, and represented within the Keele community. I'm passionate about making sure every postgraduate, whatever their background, feels welcomed, valued and heard at Keele.

You can talk to me about: 

  • Postgraduate wellbeing and support 

  • Community, events, and getting more involved 

  • Diversity, equity and inclusion 

  • Campaigns and collaboration opportunities 

  • Any issues affecting postgraduates outside academics 

If you have more ideas about the postgraduate community, or concerns about wellbeing and support, I'm always happy to talk to you. 

Please email me at kpa.vp@keele.ac.uk

Precious' Blog October 2026

Posted on Thu 01 Oct 2026 at 16:15 by Gabriella Hebditch

My First Three Months as KPA Vice President

Over the summer, I've done a LOT of training and meetings to get my footing when it comes to the position of KPA Vice President, and honestly, what a whirlwind it's been!

Training

It is a transition year, with the merging of the SU and KPA, so I got to learn deeply about KeeleSU, my role as an officer, and what is expected of me. I met with different teams within the SU and the university, and with the project and engagement team I got trained on what makes good communication and how to communicate properly to a larger audience as an officer, which I found really helpful. We also had EDI training, did power mapping, and drew out our priorities for the year, alongside team bonding activities to learn how to work better as a team and support each other. It has all helped me understand what my role fully entails and how to do the work better, so I can support and represent students well.

I also took part in open day as an officer, and I was happy to meet prospective students, answer the questions they were curious about, and let them know about all the fun activities, clubs, sports, and societies KeeleSU has to offer.

We also travelled to Leicester University for a training day and got to meet with other student unions from across the West Midlands. It was a day filled with lots of learning and fun, and I had an amazing time meeting and bonding with my fellow officers.

Everyone I've met has been lovely and supportive, and I hope to keep fostering these relationships so postgraduate voices are properly represented at the table.

The Fun Stuff

Graduation week was amazing! It was great to see so many students celebrating their achievements, and I had the honour of delivering graduation speeches at three different ceremonies, including bedel-bearing. Seeing people walk across the stage with their friends and family cheering them on was a lovely reminder that moments like this deserve to be celebrated and remembered.

My favourite part of the month was filming contents to put out on social media with my fellow officers.

Keele x Staffs

We also had the chance to meet with the Staffordshire University officers to talk about how we could work together to create bigger plans and better support for both unis. It was a great laugh, and we can't wait to see what opportunities come out of Keele and Staffs teaming up.

So far

I also worked with Leonard to streamline the KPA bursary application, so it's easy for every PG student to apply for extra funding for conferences and research events.

I also partnered with the chaplaincy team to bring back the PG Coffee Mornings, just so postgrads have a space to meet with each other and talk about life basically.

Alongside all this, I've been busy preparing for Freshers Week, making sure postgraduates have a full programme of events to get stuck into as they start the new year, trying to make sure every postgrad feels connected from the very beginning and supported.

Overall

My first three months in office have involved a lot of training, learning, and getting to know my role, and I've loved every single bit of it. Super excited to start the academic year!