Omolade Adedapo was previously a student at the University of Kent, studying Politics and International Relations. Graduating in 2018 she was then elected as Kent Student Union Vice-President of Welfare and Community. Omalade is proud to be the first in her family to attend university.
Why did you want to work in higher education?
I guess before I got elected in my role at Kent Union I didn’t actually think about the sector as higher education, I didn’t really know much about it as I thought it was just the student union. But when I got into it I realised I was in higher education but I was also working in the charity sector, which I really enjoyed. While I was a student I really enjoyed volunteering because I was the BAME officer, representing Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority students. I wanted to do more of that and give back to students, so it was partly campaigning, project work, doing stuff that actually impacted people and I really enjoyed this.
What is the value of higher education?
What made it possible was a lot of resilience. A bit of back story about me, I actually wasn’t meant to come to Kent! I was supposed to go to the University of East Anglia, however on completing my UCAS application I found I couldn’t go to university due to my immigration status. Because of that I couldn’t get funding from Student Finance, which meant not only did I not have money for tuition and living costs, but I would have to pay international fees, so that really shatters the whole entire dream of going to university. But despite all that happening my parents said "you're still going to go", so I came to Kent because the tuition fee was cheaper and I really enjoyed it. I think the value for me is the people you meet and what you get out of it, and since it was so hard for me to actually get to university I think I valued education even more, because I had a reason to be here, I had something to fight for.
I would definitely say the opportunities I got from university really transformed me. If I didn’t get elected in this role I don’t know what I would be doing.
How do other places compare to UKC and how did you come to work here?
While I’ve been in my role I’ve visited other universities and I’ve seen the differences and what they prioritise. Some universities will prioritise the library, some the services on campus such as bars, food places and night clubs, but I think for me what I really enjoy about Kent is the community. There are so many support services and so many people willing to see you succeed which I really enjoyed; like I said, I wasn’t meant to come here which I think made me value it even more.
When I first joint the university I did have a hard time settling in and I think the Student Union was my safe haven. I previously volunteered in a lot of the university activities. I was President of the Volunteering Society and after that I was being mentored by one of the ex-sabbatical officers and seeing them doing their role made me want to get into it.
Who has helped you most in your journey?
I would say my friends, who are really dear to me. I made really good friends in my second year who were also my campaign team, and since graduating they’ve really helped me out with difficult moments. Graduating can be very daunting as you leave a very structured life of 9am to 6pm seminars and lectures, and go to having more free time until you find work, but I got lucky because I was elected and now I am thinking about leaving, and thinking about a job. So I think having a good support network is key, and my friends are that.
What has been your greatest achievment since being at the university?
I’d say a lot of the projects I’ve worked on, so some of the things I’ve managed to do while being at university. Not only just winning elections and doing projects, but important issues like getting free sanitary products on campus for students which is what I did last year. This year I am currently working on support for students who are involved in the sex industry, so opportunities to work on real life situations which people struggle to talk about has made it enjoyable and why I want to be here.
What are your plans for the future?What are your next projects/goals?
In terms of short term goals, finding a new job because I’ll be leaving in about four months. However, doing more projects, more involvement with the charity sector, and being at Kent Union has opened my eyes to being a trustee within an organisation on having that opportunity to make a lot of changes and that’s something I still want to do. Also doing a lot of EDI (Equality, Diversity, Inclusivity) work and trying to push that forward as well.
How could Kent strive to be a better place to work and study?
I definitely think the landscape of higher education is changing. You have a different cohort of students that come to university. Students are not learning the same way I learnt and I think the university has to adapt to that change and adapt to the different ways people process information. There also needs to be more space for students to feedback easier at the university.
Take every opportunity as it comes - you don’t pay £9,250 to just get a degree!
What motivates you to do the work you do?
I definitely think its seeing the impact the student union has on students. Every year we discuss what we’ve done throughout the year and it’s really great to see how we impact on student experience and the opportunities students have had. I’m really grateful for the student union as all the opportunities I’ve had wouldn’t have manifested without it.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Take every opportunity as it comes - you don’t pay £9,250 to just get a degree! You really need to take every opportunity, there is so much value in being at university, not just a degree but whether it's joining a society, careers advice, even just talking to lecturers and even just starting up your own business. There’s so many things you can do here and when you graduate you will look back at the things you gained from university, and you don’t want that to be just your degree.
