Meet your new Student President – Adil Rahoo

Adil Rahoo has recently been elected as GCU Students’ Association Student President for the year 21/22.

Business and Management graduate Adil Rahoo has stepped up from his role as a Vice President to take on the role for the upcoming academic year.

We chatted to Adil about the year ahead and got to know him a bit better with some ‘this or that’ quick fire questions.

 

What aspect of the role excites you the most?

There are a couple, to be honest. I really love all the interactions with the students. From getting the random hellos on the streets to working directly with them at the University for improving the overall student experience. Being the elected figurehead and the representation of our 17,000 students has a lot of responsibilities surrounding it and that’s one of the things that I love about it.

Then there’s a public speaking element to it which I’ve really enjoyed since I was quite young. The highest number of people I’ve given a speech in front of is around 100,000 a few years ago and I’m hoping to break that record very soon.

What do you miss most about life at GCU pre covid-19?

I would say being able to walk around the campus, meeting new students, making new friends and going for lunches together. I always enjoyed the campus life alongside my academics and I always tried to focus on excelling at both while I was a student.
Going completely online from last year, I never really got a chance to experience working from my office within the Students’ Association building. It’s something that I’m excited about going forward this year with our new FTO team as well as ensuring a Safe Return to Campus for our GCU Students.

What will you bring to the role of Student President/VP

I think I’ll be able to bring my own unique experiences to the role. Being highly interested in Public Policy since a very young age, I always spent my spare time finishing Public Policy courses online from various institutions such as Oxford, Harvard, UNICEF, etc. As the President, I will be implementing most of my learnings within the Policy-oriented role.
As a student, I was also involved in a lot of the extra-curricular activities offered at University and the Students’ Association such as finishing the Student Leaders’ Programme, being the Class Representative, volunteering as the International Students’ Officer, Ethical and Environmental Officer, as well as becoming a Certified Carbon Literacy Trainer, all of which will provide a very unique insight within in my role.

Cheese & Onion or Salt & Vinegar crisps?

I’ve had to think this one through before forming a conclusion… Cheese & Onion.

Morning person or night owl?

Morning person on the weekdays. Night owl on the weekends. Hibernation in the summers.

Beach holiday or city break?

Born and raised in Karachi, one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world, I’d take a beach holiday any day.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee for sure.

Beyonce or Lady Gaga?

Beyonce or Lady Gaga? No. Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

Working From Home or In The Office?

Working in the Office. MS Teams and Zoom meetings just don’t kill it for me the same way.

Dining out or cooking in?

I love to dine out. But more recently, I just don’t get the time to go out much so I’ve started to cook a lot at home.

Find out more about the new Students’ Association Full Time Officer Team on the official website.

By Rebecca Meechan
Got a story you’d like to share? Get in touch at studentcomms@gcu.ac.uk