Candidate Statements for the position of Wellbeing & Equity Vice-President 2025

 

Lola Vaelua Afeaki 

Malo e lelei and Talofa Lava!

My name is Lola Afeaki. First, I would like to thank God for His unconditional love and for His continual presence in my life. I would also like to acknowledge my village with my utmost gratitude and humble respects. I am of Tongan and Samoan heritage. I grew up in Māngere 275 and continue to grace my hood with my presence. I am running for the role of Wellbeing & Equity Vice-President 2025, hoping I can serve our students and give back to the community that raised me. I served the university in different executives for clubs, worked in uni accomodation and have volunteered for the sake of ensuring our students are heard, listened to and are safe on and off campus. I am putting myself forward for this role with sheer dedication to promote our students’ voices, ensure welfare is accessible, fair and safe as well as supporting proactive student governance. I want to improve advocacy and care for student mental health, provide safer and better care for students living in university accomodation and reform responses and actions to pastoral care. Every student deserves to be heard and cared for their individual holistic needs. Each student has different backgrounds, upbringing and financial situations that should not be hindering their ability to achieve academic success. With the experience I have acquired from various opportunities, my natural ability to serve, and my passion for diversity and inclusion, my perseverance will guide me to support our students.

 

Jasneel Deo 

Hi, I'm Jasneel and I am a third year psychology student. I love psychology and love learning about people and how we can make the most of our lives. In my spare time, I love to watch movies and visit new restaurants. I enjoy eating outdoors and love doing outdoor activities like walking and running. My proposed initiatives would be to foster a loving and caring environment for our team do really well and to engage with our community, ask what their needs are and to deliver on their needs. In particular I would love to produce a lot of wellness events and social events where people can come together, make friends and do fun activities together that build friendships and connections. I would ensure that everyone is treated equally, equitably, and valuably and ensure that our events are safe, inclusive, and culturally sensitive to ensure that everyone is feeling good if elected. Also, I would ensure that AUSA has a lot of connections and reaching out to current stakeholders and building on our relationship and to reach out to possible stakeholders and include them in our events and organisation to build a more connected and accessible Auckland.

 

Sasha Rodenko (Second Option)

Hi everyone! I’m Sasha and I’m running for Wellbeing & Equity Vice-President for 2025!

A bit about me – I’m in my 3rd year of a Bachelor of Optometry👀, am a huge animal lover🐱, and love to bake some yum food in my free time🎂.

I have an invisible disability and have been involved in advocating for disabled peoples’ rights for a while now, starting the Disability Action Plan alongside the Pro Vice-Chancellor Equity, and other disabled students/staff since my first year of uni. Here we speak from our experiences as disabled people at The University of Auckland to implement positive changes in the university environment for all. More recently I have founded the UoA Students with Disabilities in Healthcare Association, a club and a more importantly, a safe space for disabled learners who have an interest in healthcare.

If chosen, I will fight for more disabled-friendly events, more academic support for disabled people, as well as more opportunities for us to learn, relax, and have fun. Currently as a member of the Disability Action Plan I can only speak for the experiences that I have had, if elected I will make sure you all have a voice that the Pro Vice-Chancellor Equity will hear, implementing changes that matter and will ACTUALLY make a difference to you.

I am committed to ensuring that our needs are heard and most importantly… met.

Jiajun Guo (Aileen) (Second Option)

I am Jiajun Guo (Aileen), an AUSA International Buddy Volunteer and Career Leader at the Business School Career Centre.

If elected as Wellbeing & Equity Vice-President, my primary focus will be on enhancing mental health support and ensuring equitable access to resources for all students. I will work to improve counseling services, create wellness programs, and provide better support for students facing challenges.

Additionally, I will establish regular feedback channels to listen to your concerns and needs. Your input will guide my actions, and I will advocate for policies that support your wellbeing and promote equity across our campus.

My goal is to make a positive impact on every student’s experience. Thank you for considering my candidacy. If elected, I promise to work tirelessly to promote a healthy, equitable, and inclusive environment for all.

Thank you for your support and vote.

Tina Liang (Second Option)

As a third-year student pursuing a BCom/LLB conjoint degree, majoring in Economics, I’ve faced the immense stress, vulnerability, and isolation that many students experience at university. These challenges have had a profound impact on my mental and physical health, and through these experiences, I’ve come to realize that nothing is more important than our wellbeing. This understanding drives my commitment for creating a friendlier and more interconnected campus environment.

If elected as Wellbeing & Equity Vice-President, I’m committed to making tangible changes that prioritize student health and inclusivity. I’ll work closely with Campus Life, the Equity Office, and other key stakeholders to ensure that our wellbeing initiatives are truly student-centered and address the diverse needs of our community.

I want to advocate for mental health services that are not only accessible but also tailored to the unique experiences of different student groups. I know how crucial it is to have support systems in place, and I will push for increased availability of counseling and peer support networks. Additionally, I’m passionate about addressing financial barriers that can add to students’ stress, and I will work to expand scholarships and emergency grants.

Elson Tan 

As a person who used to be left out of the kinds of big social groups many of you take for granted, as a Wellbeing and Equity Veep my main goal is to ensure no student gets left behind when it comes to their wellbeing in all aspects of uni life. I would encourage people to bring other students who have never been to events, to said events so that every student can leave uni having gone to one, and I will also encourage people to reach out to students they’ve never talked to before, which can unite the entire UoA as one massive community where everyone cares. Because if there is one problem, it’s that not enough people care.