Iloabachie Olachi Christabel

Biography

I may not have all the answers to life, but I believe myself to be the kind of person to make things happen while keeping smiles on everyone's faces.

My name is Iloabachie Olachi Christabel, and this is my prelude.

They say that Leadership needs confidence, accountability and strategic vision; luckily for all parties involved, I possess all of the above, plus a good sense of humour.

Growing up, I wanted to be a lot of things, including the first female president of America, but I soon realised that I needed to be an American citizen and at least 50 years old to achieve that, so I let it go.

I could start with my date of birth, nationality and even explain down to my favourite colour, which is black by the way, but I'll save us all from that trouble.

I believe that there is joy to be found in everything, including the things that seem impossible. Things like the topic of student affairs seem to be overlooked so often because they seem so irrelevant, and as students, we have mastered the art of adaptability so perfectly that we always seem to be okay with everything.

I am proof that adaptability is double-edged; therefore, I want to take it upon myself to make sure that qualities like these don't bite us in the back.

Through my experience of being a prefect during my high school days, a member of the ACS society and a co-head of the book club, I believe that I have gathered tangible transferable skills from both my responsibilities and by watching the leaders before me and in my respective clubs act and lead.

I am loud, some might even call me funny; I am passionate, dedicated, and caring, to name a few. In the same breath, I want to show you that loudness is not just about being noisy; it is also about being so out there that people know they can trust you.

I want to create an environment safe enough for everyone to flourish, grow, feel seen and heard and a space where everyone feels valued, and no minority is overlooked.

Surviving exams, group projects, short holidays, and reading marathons deserves representation from someone who gets it (me).

I bring fun, good vibes, fresh ideas, positive energy and leadership that doesn't feel like command to my fellow students. I can't promise the best Wi-Fi connection or cancelled exams/classes, but I can promise to give the best representation and prove my worth to you.

Action Plan

As someone interested in becoming a Student Academy Ambassador, my action plan is to build a student-friendly environment that gives my fellow students a voice while focusing on meaningful changes within the university, especially among the student body.

I want to be seen as approachable, confident, and a problem-solver while maintaining the vibrant and positive personality that I am known for.

1. One of the things that has gradually lodged itself in my mind is to host/create events where every student comes together (Georgian and international), represents their cultures, and just socialise and get to know each other, because I noticed that most students from various semesters do not know each other.

2. Another milestone I aim to achieve is more time between exams, especially for students in the early semesters. Having gone through the struggle of taking back-to-back exams and barely getting any sleep, this is a problem that I hope to address and hopefully find a middle ground between the students and the administration.

3. Just like me, I believe that a lot of students would love to have volunteer opportunities in their list of experiences or resume. One of the things I hope to achieve is to convince the university to create a steady collaboration with some centres around the state, where students can hopefully gain volunteer experiences locally, outside of classrooms.

4. I would also love to have a go at fundraising/donation activities for the less privileged at least once every semester. I believe that empathy is a crucial human feeling to possess, and it is one that I hope to cultivate in my fellow students.

5. Another thing is mental health. I know that it feels over-spoken about, but I believe that you can never stop speaking about mental health, especially because we are the future faces of medicine.

One of the things I genuinely hope to achieve is to create a better environment for students to feel safe enough to be vulnerable about their issues. I hope to create a mental health hotline, be it via email or via voicemail, an avenue where everyone can just use to vent and hopefully, in the future, other strong mental health positivity activities.