Alice Russell, Student DTA

This is a Proud to be Staffs Story

Here at Staffordshire University Students' Union, our vision is that every student will be Proud to be Staffs. Our stories are examples of the wonderful people and groups in our community and how they make us proud. 

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Proud to be Staffs Story: Alice Russell

Student, School of Digital, Technologies and Arts

It is without doubt that all of the dedicated people who volunteer with their Students' Union make us Proud. Their dedication and hard work brings our charity and our vision to life. But occasionally, we are blown away by individual volunteers who truly go so far above and beyond in their work. Thank you Alice, for making us Proud to be Staffs.

Alice Russell's Story

"Alice is extremely humble and modest about their commitment to the University, starting a society during their first year at University they have demonstrated unquestionable devotion to bringing the best student experience to as many other students as possible. They work tirelessly to organise socials and craft skill sessions within their society, as well as working as a Course Rep through their first year, they've then poured even more effort into their positions within the university during the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic to ensure that their society members and course mates aren't left without the quality experience being a student at Staffordshire University entails. They've been the sole leader within their society, having had 4 Committee members surrender their roles due to the added stress of the pandemic, Alice has simply shouldered their workload and pushed forward excelling in both their studies and extra-curricular activities inspiring new members to engage in online events which they have run with little recognition for the extortionary lengths they had to go to enable the event to run, individually packaging entire craft sessions and shipping them across the country to members who weren't able to return to their term time addresses and running one of the only digital sessions I've seen in all of the societies I engage with outside my own. Alice has gone above and beyond fostering and developing a welcoming community within their society, going as far as to encourage members to step up to fill committee positions during absence and to even inspire two members to stand in the election despite all their concerns and doubts to run the society alongside Alice next year! They have always made themselves available to any student who has asked for help, whether that be academic worries or mental wellness they've always been a shoulder to lean on, or a calm voice of reason to direct students to wellbeing and union support services and are a role model for the students around them. Furthermore Alice refuses to let any obstacle get in their way, and to make sure that as many students as possible can have a good student experience while here at Staffs will go out of their way to invite other societies to their events, without asking them to do anything but show up running collaborative events entirely by themselves at times and making every single attendee feel welcome, as if they were part of Alice's society. There is no other student I have had the pleasure of working alongside who makes me feel more #ProudToBeStaffs."