Posted on Thu 01 Oct 2026 at 16:03 by
Gabriella Hebditch How do I talk about my first few months as an officer of Keele SU? Well, let me begin
Hi, I'm JOHN UCHEAGWU. I AM THE KEELE POSTGRADUATE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, also known as KPA President, the last and final KPA president of Keele. Obviously being iconic like my role model KIM KARDASHIAN.
Getting into this position at first was kind of scary; I didn't know what I was fully getting myself into. I had so many intentions to have my voice heard from day one and organize so many events that could bring life into the postgraduate scene, as it all felt DEAD.
I joined the officer team and met one of the most important sets of people in my life who have made my position as an officer a dream. There is one thing to go to work, and there is another thing to be at work. These student officers make me want to be at work, to actually make an impact that was once there in my heart: to make the lives of postgraduates amazing here at Keele, and it's all thanks to AMRIT, PRECIOUS, BEN, RIVER and APSHARA.
15th June 2026, the beginning of one of the best chapters of my life, but also the beginning of a crazy intensive training that I was placed in by amazing students union voice staffs TUESDAY(my lovely baby) and LEONARD. I began to learn so much about how my role operates and how to work best with others and other stuff that obviously you all can't know about, but hey, it kind of was amazing. Knowing how to better position myself and come out of my comfort zone to actually make my voice heard and assert myself better in a room filled with university staff and important individuals later in life.
A favorite experience you all have to know is how I took a trip to Leicester to have a trustee training with my fellow officers and I got an amazing opportunity to encounter the officers of the university of Staffordshire and other schools like derby, Nottingham etc. We interacted so much with other schools I was so excited to learn from each of them on how they supported their postgraduate and international students.
Now let me tell you, did you know that with this role as the KPA president as much as it's fun to discuss plans and events with your officers you will have to also sit so many boring meetings. There are some that fun but lordddd, a lot a quite draining and its basically really important because if they are not held then the whole school is like going to blow up and we do not want that happening. So I began sitting in important educational meetings like the educational committee and some university meetings like Council. These meetings really do make sit and analyze so much on what it take to run a functioning school where every department has a needs that be catered for.
Here comes Graduation. I have never experienced graduation culture here in the UK, and I was amazed to see that a whole week was dedicated to different schools on different days, unlike mine back home in Nigeria, which had just one day for everyone in one single stadium on the school premises. I was excited to have the opportunity to give speeches for different schools on behalf of Keele SU. At first I was so nervous, but as usual I thought about what Kim would do. I owned the stage and gave all my speeches so effortlessly, looking like an angel descended from heaven in one of them, which is so funny but such a confidence boost.
So sad, this is my last paragraph for this first blog, of which many are to come later on, but that’s it, folks. It's been a whirlwind of so much happening these first few months, bonded so much with my fellow officers and other staffs and I can't wait to see what's ahead and update you all on it.
SEE YOU AT FRESHERS/WELCOME WEEK.
Always and forever,
XOXO, JOHN. U