Meet your Vice President for SHLS - Tabitha Nyariki

Tabitha Nyariki has recently been elected as GCU Students’ Association Vice President for the School of Health and Life Sciences for the 21/22 academic year. 

This will be Tabitha’s second year working in the role and we spoke with her to find out more about how she hopes to build on the success of last year, as well as quizzing her with our “this or that” quick-fire questions. 

How did it feel to get re-elected into your role as Vice President? 

“It was a fantastic feeling just knowing that students appreciated the work I did last year and trusted me enough to re-elect me. I was very happy when I received the news, it was a really good feeling to be honest.” 

 
What aspect of the role excites you the most? 

“Last year coronavirus was a hot topic, so a lot of our work was streamlined around safe return to campus and other things like that. What excites me the most is being able to delve into other areas that I’m passionate about, such as continuing to tackle racism on campus and making sure students get involved in their programmes - all while having the best experience possible as part of SHLS.” 

Is there anything in particular you want to achieve this year? 

“I’d like to look more at implementing some of the objectives we have as part of the Tackling Racism group, such as putting in a system for racial complaints. It’s important to myself and the University that we really strive to deliver on these objectives.” 

What will you bring to the role of VP? 

“I’ll bring the experience I’ve gained over the last year. Last year there was a lot of time spent learning about the role, so this year I’m coming in with a better understanding of what student issues are. I also have a better idea of what can be achieved and what can’t be achieved, which is crucial because it’s so important to be realistic with your objectives.” 
 

What do you miss most about life at GCU pre covid-19? 
 
“I’ve definitely missed going to the Re:Union Bar and just getting to chat with my pals after a long day of work - that’s definitely the one thing I miss most.” 

Cheese & Onion or Salt & Vinegar? 

“None! I don’t eat dairy, the flavour of cheese annoys me! I also don’t like salt and vinegar crisps – it’s just too tangy. I usually go for prawn cocktail!” 
 

Morning person or night owl? 
 
“Night owl for sure! I do all my reading and work at night.” 
 

Beach holiday or city break? 
 
“Beach holiday without doubt!” 

 
Tea or coffee? 
 
“I like tea but if I had to choose one forever then it would have to be coffee.” 
 

Beyonce or Lady Gaga? 
 
“Beyonce – I’m definitely part of the Beyhive!” 
 

Working from home or in the office? 
 
“Working from the office because you get that social interaction with colleagues and students.” 
 

Dining out or cooking in? 

“Dining out, obviously! I do enjoy cooking but with dining out you can have all the things that you can’t cook, so there are more options!” 
 
 

By Ross Clark   
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter