Campus Celeb Jenny Waters
Following the great success of RAG week, we felt it was necessary to get in touch with AUSA’s Charities President, Jenny Waters. Despite how busy RAG week was for her, she took the time to answer our questions. So thank you Jenny!
Name: Jenny Waters
Age: 23
Hometown: Dollar, Clackmannanshire
Degree: International Relations and Legal Studies
HC: What made you run for Charities President?
J: I volunteered with RAG for 3 years while I was studying and absolutely loved it. Last year I was the Vice-President for RAG and was encouraged to run for President by my predecessor Emily.
HC: What are your main goals for the rest of your term as charities president this year?
J: This year I set up the ‘Adopt a Charity’ scheme for sports clubs and societies. We have had a great response so far, and I’m looking forward to making the project as successful as possible. I’m also working on a new Schools Outreach Project which I’m hoping will be really rewarding. My fundraising target is for the campaign to raise £100,000 – it’s an ambitious total!
HC: But that total is not impossible! How do you plan to achieve those goals?
J: We have loads of great events coming up next term, including our annual Torcher Parade and Student Show. I’m also really excited for our Jailbreak event which will take place in February. The aim is to work in teams and to try and get as far away from Aberdeen as possible in 24 hours without spending any money!
HC: RAG week has just finished. Could you give me a low-down on what went on, and how successful it was?
J: RAG Week went really well! We ran a variety of different events over 7 days, including an acoustic night, a pub quiz, a bag pack, a ceilidh and a club night. We also brought the bungee jump back onto campus which was amazing – it was just a shame that the weather was SO terrible! We also had volunteers out on campus encouraging staff and students to donate to The £1 Challenge – this campus-wide fundraising works on the basis that if every person at the University of Aberdeen gave £1 to charity, we could raise over £17,000. We’re still in the process of adding up our final RAG Week total but the RAG committee are really pleased with the success of the week. Stay tuned!
HC: What is the best thing about being Charities president? How do you manage your workload? What do you do to de-stress?
J: Being Charities President is really rewarding and it’s great to give back to the local community. The role is also really social and I love working with my volunteers and meeting new people. I find managing my workload quite tough, as it’s really hard to shift away from the mentality of ‘it’s only for one year so just go for it’. I like to de-stress by playing squash, going to the gym and hanging out with friends.
HC: Describe your perfect day.
J: My perfect day would be a combination of all the best things in life – shopping, squash, good food, lots of wine, friends, boyfriend and family!
HC: What is your favourite thing to do (besides being Charities Pres. of course)?
J: My boyfriend lives and works in Zurich, so I love travelling over to Switzerland to visit him. The city is so pretty and it’s always great to spend time together. The perfect way to chill out!
HC: How would you describe yourself in three words?
J: Outrageous, ambitious, loyal
HC: What is your favourite song of all time, and what does this say about you?
J: I love listening to Enya. She’s definitely my desert-island artist. That’s weird, right?! I can’t believe I just confessed this.
HC: What advice would you give to anyone considering running for Charities President in the future?
J:I think you need to be goal-orientated, passionate and hardworking. Give it your all, and enjoy every moment. Remember to laugh!
Thanks again for taking the time to speak to us Jenny, we really appreciate it!