A Warm Hello From Me

Hi I am Maria, one of your two full-time Student Campaigns Leads. I have completed two years of my undergraduate Cybersecurity degree, and I'm currently interrupting my studies to fulfil this position, before hopefully returning to finish my final year.  

Despite paying Home Fees as a student, I actually moved here from Romania just before Brexit.  

My journey through university has been quite a long one. I initially came to the UK to study Electronic Engineering at King's College London, where I completed two years during the pandemic.  

Moving to a new country, dealing with isolation, a long commute and having to work alongside my studies made things much harder than I'd anticipated. Eventually, I was withdrawn from my course due to academic failure.  

But I knew I wasn't giving up on my career, so I decided to start again, this time studying Cybersecurity at Bedfordshire, alongside my sister.   

Like some of you I have already spoken to, my experience here hasn't been straightforward either. I've faced a number of challenges throughout my studies, from planning and support issues to difficulties with progression and appeals. 

Eventually, I missed out on a semester of studies. And I found myself in a familiar position: having a lot of questions, but not always the answers I needed.   

But this time, instead of just trying to navigate everything on my own, I started getting involved.  

I became a course representative, attended training and workshops, and got to know the Students' Union. I took part in school meetings and voiced students’ feedback, which helped make visible changes to our course. Alongside Natan, who is one of your Student Voice Leaders, I also helped relaunch the Computing Society and we organised some really successful events.  

Those experiences made me realise how much I wanted to be involved in making things better for students. So, when the opportunity came to stand for election, I knew I wanted to take it. And that's really what brought me here.  

My journey is only just beginning, and while my time as a student has come with its challenges, it has helped me understand the difference that the right support can make. This is what motivates me in my role: making sure students feel heard, supported, and able to make the most of their university experience. And I'm looking forward to helping you with yours!