Candidate for the position of Student President

Image for Maria O’sullivan

Maria O’sullivan

Better is possible. Let's make it happen!

🧠 Learn a little about me
I am an Irish mature distance learner living in the UK, studying LLB (Hons) Law with Foundation Year, which means most of my studying happens at home in London, usually with a strong cup of tea and more browser tabs open than I care to admit!

Before Arden, I spent over 15 years working as a Project Executive and Executive Assistant across law, education and sports, and I genuinely love finding ways to make things work better for people. I also happen to be an inventor and I designed a modular clothing system for wheelchair users, which I am really proud of.

I also volunteer with small businesses and charities, helping them create systems to work better, which is something I find just as rewarding as my studies.

Outside of that, I am passionate about animal rights, and I volunteer doing bat surveys in parks and Wetland centres around London. Yes, really. It is as magical as it sounds! And I love to travel, my next plan is to visit the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Honestly? Because I have seen what is possible and I know we are not quite there yet.

My year on the AUSA Board showed me how much good work is already happening, but also where students are falling through the gaps. I want to be the person who helps close those gaps, not just talk about them.

I am also a student with disabilities, and I know firsthand how exhausting it can be to navigate a system that does not always work as it should. That experience never leaves you, and it drives everything I care about - fairness, inclusion, and making sure every student feels genuinely seen and supported.

I am not running because I want a title. I am running because I care deeply about this community and the people in it.

Arden has given me so much, and I want to give something meaningful back by showing up, listening properly, and working hard for every single one of us.
🔢 What I pledge to do if elected
Transparency and Trust

Students should never have to chase basic information or feel kept in the dark. When things aren't going to plan, we deserve honesty about that too.

Together we can build a culture where communication is clear, appeals and complaints handled fairly and on time, and students know their rights from the start — not figuring it out alone.

We need those in power to remember the governing board holds its position because of us. Without students, there is no university. Listening to us, supporting us, encouraging and celebrating us, and providing learning spaces and tools we need are not extras. They are the mission. When that is forgotten, it undermines everything Arden stands for.

To make that real, I want to establish a student committee working directly alongside senior leadership, raising issues, shaping decisions, and reporting back to students throughout the year. Real accountability means being heard, and not just at election time.
Inclusion that Goes Beyond Words

Our diversity is one of the best things about Arden and we should be so proud of it. But inclusion must to be lived daily, in how we are supported, how decisions are made, and whose voices shape those decisions.

I want us to build something genuinely better for disabled and neurodivergent students and for everyone who has felt unseen or unheard.

Our accessibility and wellbeing teams do incredible work, often without enough recognition. They deserve our full support and I will make sure they have the resources they need to keep doing it.

The same is true for our tutors.

We cannot expect students to feel supported if the people teaching us don't feel supported themselves. When tutors have what they need, that care flows directly to us. A supported staff community means a better experience for every student.

If we invest in the people who hold this university together, we will all benefit.
Academic Support and Opportunity for Everyone

Every one of us, wherever we study, however we learn, we deserve proper support and a real sense of belonging.

We need faster and more meaningful feedback and better resources for online and distance learners.

We also need to be honest about what isn't working.

The current formative submission and feedback process is something many of us have struggled with, and it is widely known that it is not delivering what students need. That has to change. Meaningful, timely feedback is not a luxury, it is a fundamental part of learning, and we deserve better.

We also need clubs and societies.

Being part of a community beyond your course is a vital part of university life, and right now we simply don't have that. Let's build it!

When we finish our degrees, they should open real doors. Together we can strengthen opportunities, and make sure financial support is easy to find and genuinely accessible to everyone who needs it.
🗳 Have I earned your vote
I bring over 15 years of experience as a Project Executive and Executive Assistant, which means I know how to get things done, work across complex systems, and advocate for the people I represent. I don't just talk about change, I know how to work towards it practically and persistently.

My year on the AUSA Board has given me a genuine understanding of how the university operates, where the pressure points are and how to navigate them constructively. I already have working relationships with the people I would need to work alongside.

I am also a student with disabilities, which means I bring lived experience to the conversations that matter most. I understand what it feels like to need support and not always find it and that drives me to do better for others.

I believe the best leaders listen. I am not coming in with all the answers. I am coming in with a genuine commitment to hearing and meeting you, representing you fairly, and working hard every day.
I believe the biggest challenge facing students at Arden is feeling genuinely connected. To the university, to each other, and to the support that exists for them.

Arden is home to over 40,000 students spread across campuses and the world.

Many of us are mature learners, juggling studies beside work, caring responsibilities, and the demands of busy lives. Many of us study completely online. That brings incredible diversity and resilience, but it also means that it is very easy to feel isolated, to miss out on valuable support, or to not even know what support you are entitled to.

When students don't feel connected, everything else becomes harder. Academic struggles go unaddressed and unsupported. Mental health support goes unfound. Rights go unexercised because nobody told us what they were. And all of this shows in our results.

This is not only about wellbeing, it is about fairness. Every student, regardless of how or where they study, deserves to feel that this university knows that they exist and feel that Arden genuinely cares about and celebrates their successes no matter how big or small.

That is why so much of what I am pledging sits around transparency, communication, inclusion, proper support structures, clearer learning tools, and building community. When students feel seen, heard, and connected, everything else becomes possible, and we feel prouder about our study and our university as a whole.