Hi. My name is Titilayo Afolabi, and I am a first-year chemistry student. I am very interested in having a leadership role in ChemSoc. There are many reasons why I am putting myself forward for this role. I’ve only had great experiences as a ChemSoc member, so I’d love to give back and offer my ideas. I have three distinct ideas for the society, which I will dive into later. Additionally, I have put myself up for every role in this society besides the president. This may be a unique approach, however, the reason I’ve done this is because I would be happy with any role in the society. While I am applying for a role that only I will fill, I am also applying to be part of a team. A team of new faces, from different backgrounds and with different ideas. For me, the most appealing part of this responsibility is the opportunity to work collaboratively with like-minded people to provide the best events for all Chemistry students. 

In terms of experience,

• I have co-led a gardening club with my friends in my 6th form for younger students. I was tasked with marketing events and attending meetings with teachers to ask for funding. I also dipped into my own pocket many times to make the club a welcoming place. Due to this, I can vouch for my ability to handle the responsibility that this role inherently comes with. If elected, I will dedicate my time and effort to the societies needs. 
• I tutor in my local tuition centre, which may seem unrelated, but it helped my listening skills and my confidence in a team scenario improve. I understand the importance of representing the perspective of us students, as we will ultimately be the ones attending events. So, with these improved skills, I will actively ask for the opinions of everyone and relay them accurately, when making decisions for the society. 

To address my ideas for the society, 

• Firstly, I think it would be great to have a mentorship scheme, where first-year and second-year mentees can connect directly to 2nd or 3rd year mentors who can offer support and advice. 

Through talking to people in my cohort, I’ve found out that a majority have never interacted with the 2nd and 3rd years, even online. While we all have access to personal tutors or our lecturers by email, sometimes it’s less embarrassing to ask a friend. But if you and your friends are all confused, what can you do? Well, with a mentorship scheme, you could ask fellow students, who may have gone through a similar thing or have friends that can answer questions. This does rely on 2nd or 3rd-year availability; however, this could hypothetically be put on the mentor’s CV as a form of volunteering, which is very beneficial and could be done in person or virtually. Even in groups or 1-1. I also think this is a brilliant way, to foster interactions between year groups within our subject. 

• Secondly, I’d like to see ChemSoc hold more vocational events, where students can learn straight from professionals how they used their degrees to land jobs in many different sectors.

I have been to many other society events, including BFS, EFS etc. I have been very inspired by the talkers I’ve heard, and I think we Chemistry students could benefit from a similar thing. I’d love to implement this to present the benefits of having a Chemistry degree and broaden knowledge, including my own, to the many vocational opportunities that are available to us.

• Lastly, I think that it would be great to have a more interactive Instagram/social media, with more frequent posts about topics surrounding Chemistry.

The ChemSoc Instagram, as it is now, is very useful to in particular for seeing what events are happening. However, after looking at other society Instagrams, I think more can be done to make the Instagram more appealing, outside of physical events. This could include posting internship/career-developing opportunities as they become available etc. Additionally, frequent stories can be made with fun facts about things happening in Chemistry. 

To conclude, thank you for taking the time to read my manifesto. Even if I am not picked for a role in ChemSoc, I hope these ideas can still be used, as they are truly things I’d like to see from the society even if I’m not implementing them. A vote for me is a vote for a more community-based society where we can all learn from each other and professionals.