Introducing the candidates

Why are you standing to be a People & Planet student trustee?

I’m Torin, a third year BA Politics student at The University of Sheffield. I am President of People & Planet Sheffield and I have been organising the Fossil Free Careers campaign for the past three years. My involvement in People & Planet comes from a line of organising around the climate, local democracy, and Palestine since I was 14, in a variety of local and national campaigns. This began with Youth Strike 4 Climate, and has led me to taking part in a tree protection campaign, joining my University’s Palestine encampment, co-founding a successful local referendum campaign, and writing many, many grant funding applications. I have given a lot of energy to People & Planet over the past three years and I want to contribute my time to helping the network beyond Sheffield. People & Planet has provided a natural home for me as I came to university as an environmental activist who believes strongly in climate justice. I have found the support structures of People & Planet - with a staff team directed by a truly student-led network - to be very effective at enabling our small society in Sheffield to take effective, attention-grabbing actions. As I look towards postgraduate study, I am motivated to contribute to the whole People & Planet network as a trustee. I would also like to add another Northern-based trustee to the Board.

What skills and experience would you bring to the role?

I have been President of People & Planet Sheffield for two years, leading the Fossil Free Careers campaign. I have been involved in protesting every Careers Fair in the past three years, organised protests about Palestine, fossil fuels, and Drax Power Station (the UK’s #1 carbon emitter), took part in the Palestine encampment, worked with city-wide migrant action groups, and contributed to efforts to support Palestinian students. Under my leadership, P&P Sheffield has carried out numerous successful and targeted actions, gaining the attention of University management and putting People & Planet onto BBC News. Last year I served as a Trustee of Sheffield Students’ Union. In this role, I advocated for green banking, supporting student organisers, and workers' rights at a time of redundancies. I was trained to understand management accounting, charity law, and the Higher Education sector. This gave me a good understanding of how charity's function and what the role of trustee entails. I now serve as my SU’s Ethical and Environmental Councillor, and have successfully proposed policies to support campaigns against Drax and free speech on Israel. I also am part of Axe Drax's core team, where I work as the Finance & Fundraising Lead. Doing this work myself has given me an understanding of both the governance and financial realities of small nationwide political organisations. In this role, as well as others focussing on communications and the media, I have learnt how to effectively promote organisations - whether that be for funding, recruitment, or news coverage.

How do your values align with those of People & Planet?

I am committed to embedding social justice within the climate movement. Throughout my time as a climate campaigner, I have been consistently drawn to parts of the movement that centre climate justice, rather than simply climate action. People & Planet’s combination of migrant and climate justice speaks to me. Although People & Planet Sheffield doesn’t run the Divest Borders campaign, we have still kept migrant justice work key to our society. In my time as president, we have collaborated with South Yorkshire Migrant and Asylum Action Group and Student Action for Refugees to put on film screenings, host panel events, and take students on coaches to the annual demonstrations at Hassockfield Detention Centre. In my campaigning against Drax Power Station and their pollution pellet mills in the Southeastern United States, the voices of these frontline communities - who are disproportionately impoverished and Black - have been consistently prioritised and highlighted. Embedding this racial justice analysis is integral to campaigning against Drax - the issue cannot be understood without it. The same themes apply to our universities, many of which are complicit in genocide through their investments and partnerships with arms trade, that exploit their staff, and continue to benefit from the legacies of colonialism. We cannot see the Fossil Free Careers or Divest Borders campaigns in isolation from the myriad of issues that we face as student organisers. People & Planet, with its history of Global South solidarity and climate justice analysis, provides a real home to this work.

Why are you standing to be a People & Planet student trustee?

I am standing to be a trustee because my experience leading student-led climate justice campaigns has shown me how powerful the organisation is in turning collective student action into institutional change. Through its campaigns, People & Planet supports students not only to challenge injustices on campus, but to confront the wider global systems of colonialism, exploitation, and environmental harm. My involvement has shown me the importance of combining grassroots activism with strategic, governance. As a trustee, I want to help ensure the organisation remains bold in its campaigning while being well-supported, resilient, and responsive to the communities it serves. I am particularly motivated by People & Planet’s commitment to solidarity and to challenging power and privilege, including within our own movements. As a trustee, I can offer campaigning experience, strategic thinking, and a strong commitment to People & Planet’s values. As Chair of P&P Bath I understand the challenges, and strengths of student organising, and I would bring that experience into board discussions. Having organised divestment and Fossil Free Careers campaigns on campus, I understand how vital People & Planet’s support is to student activists, and I want to help ensure this support continues to be offered at the highest standard Ultimately, I want to help strengthen the organisational foundations that allow student campaigns to thrive. By bringing my experience into this role, I hope to bridge the gap between grassroots activism and organisational decision-making, ensuring People & Planet remains strategic, inclusive, and effective in empowering students to challenge injustice.

What skills and experience would you bring to the role?

People & Planet Bath has given me practical leadership and strategic campaigning experience, from chairing a committee to planning and delivering campaigns. I have experience responding to unexpected challenges, managing competing priorities, and adjusting strategies while maintaining momentum and member engagement. I regularly engage with senior university staff, including the Director of the Climate Action Group, contributing to collaborative action plans to improve institutional sustainability. This has given me confidence in navigating formal decision-making spaces and communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders. I also offer strong leadership and collaboration skills. I have experience chairing meetings, managing a committee, and coordinating campaigns that require planning, delegation, and shared decision-making. I can contribute thoughtful, well-reasoned input to complex issues and am confident speaking up when something needs to be challenged, while also valuing consensus and collective problem-solving. My experience engaging with senior university staff gives me confidence in navigating formal spaces and communicating with stakeholders, which is essential in a governance role. At the same time, my involvement in solidarity work — from divestment campaigns with UCU and Unison to protest and legal rights training — means I bring a strong justice-focused perspective and a commitment to addressing power and privilege. Through this work, I have developed strong teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills, alongside a deep understanding of oppression, power, and privilege. As a student trustee, I would use these skills to contribute thoughtfully, challenge constructively, and help ensure People & Planet remains strategic, inclusive, and accountable to the students it represents.

How do your values align with those of People & Planet?

My values strongly align with those of People & Planet through a shared commitment to climate justice, international solidarity, and challenging the systems of power that drive exploitation and environmental harm. I believe that the climate crisis cannot be separated from issues of colonialism, racism, and economic inequality, and that meaningful solutions must centre justice, accountability, and collective action. I value grassroots organising as a tool for building power and creating change, particularly within institutions such as universities that often benefit from extractive and harmful systems. People & Planet’s student-led campaigning model reflects my belief that those most affected by injustice should be supported to lead struggles for change, while being resourced, trained, and cared for by strong organisations. I am committed to challenging oppression in all its forms and to addressing power and privilege within movements as well as in the institutions we confront. I also value collective decision-making, transparency, and care as essential to sustaining long-term movements. Through my campaigning work, I have seen the importance of aligning strategy with values — being bold and confrontational, when necessary, while also acting responsibly and thoughtfully within complex political environments. These principles closely reflect People & Planet’s approach and motivate me to contribute as a student trustee to help strengthen an organisation that is principled, inclusive, and effective in confronting climate injustice and exploitation.

Why are you standing to be a People & Planet student trustee?

As a Student Union Officer at University College Birmingham Guild of Students, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of student-led movements in shaping higher education policy and driving meaningful change. I am standing for this position because I am deeply committed to amplifying student voices on sustainability and social justice issues at a national level. My experience in university governance has shown me the critical importance of having student representation at the trustee level to ensure that People & Planet remains truly student-led and responsive to the needs of our movement. I want to contribute to strategic decision-making that supports grassroots campaigns while ensuring the organisation's long-term sustainability and impact. I believe that effective governance combined with genuine student leadership can create lasting change in how universities approach environmental and social responsibility, and I am eager to bring my dedication and strategic perspective to this role.

What skills and experience would you bring to the role?

I bring extensive experience in student union governance and advocacy, having served as a Student Union Officer at UCB Guild of Students where I actively participate in guild and university boards, My skills include strategic policy analysis, formal communication and lobbying for student rights locally and on national scale, and collaborative stakeholder engagement with university leadership and external partners. I have a proven track record in drafting persuasive communications, managing complex meetings, and representing diverse student voices in decision-making processes. My experience spans sustainability initiatives, student welfare advocacy, and higher education policy compliance, including work with Office for Students regulations. Additionally, I bring strong organisational skills in coordinating teams and campaigns, as well as digital communication capabilities through social media management and content creation. My understanding of charity governance, strategic planning, and financial oversight will enable me to effectively contribute to board-level discussions and ensure robust governance practices that support the movement's mission.

How do your values align with those of People & Planet?

My values are deeply aligned with People & Planet's commitment to student-led social and environmental justice. I believe passionately in empowering students to drive systemic change within their institutions and beyond, which mirrors People & Planet's democratic approach to campaigning. Sustainability and climate justice are not just policy areas for me—they represent fundamental responsibilities we owe to future generations and marginalised communities who bear the brunt of environmental degradation. I share People & Planet's conviction that universities must divest from harmful industries and invest in ethical, sustainable alternatives. Through my work on student welfare and advocacy, I have consistently championed equity, inclusion, and the principle that those most affected by decisions should have the loudest voice in making them. I am committed to intersectional approaches that recognise how environmental, social, and economic justice are interconnected. People & Planet's model of combining grassroots activism with strategic organisational leadership resonates strongly with my own approach to change-making—believing that real transformation comes from collective action, transparent governance, and unwavering commitment to our shared values.

Why are you standing to be a People & Planet student trustee?

I am standing to be a People and Planet student trustee because I believe in making universities more aligned with the values of their student communities. Universities care about their ranking, and this gives us the ability to directly influence their policy choices. As a trustee, I would like to advocate for working with other league tables, so that the People and Planet table would influence local rankings more. At the same time, I would also light to strengthen the classification criteria, to make sure we don't overlook financial complicity and student repression. I would also push for engaging directly with students and societies, to be able to mobalise more people to join our campaigns. I strongly believe in the core values and mission of People and Planet, and I would want to help bring together the best strategy for creating lasting change.

What skills and experience would you bring to the role?

I have been Student Union President at the University of Birmingham for about 6 months, where I navigated challenging University committees, like Investments Subcommittee. I learned a lot about the thinking that universities and stakeholders have behind the scenes. Prior to my role, I was a community organiser on campus. I campaigned for divestment on campus for over two years, and learned how to communicate, strategise, and negotiate with university management. Before being elected, I successfully campaigned against my unfair disciplinary for protest, successfully mobalising students and the wider city to hole the University of Birmingham to account. I also learned to effectively engage with the media, and attended several media trainings. I know how to distinguish between friendly, neutral, and hostile media. I know how to change language when talking to different audiences, and how to handle difficult questions. In my role as Guild President, I gained experience as a trustee - both as a Student Union board member and as a member of University Council. I also received governance training and gained a solid understanding of charity law and surroundingd duties.

How do your values align with those of People & Planet?

I have always been a person driven by my values. Growing up in Romania in the early 2000s, I have started being involved in advocacy from a young age, mainly for women's rights and Roma rights. After moving to the UK at 14, I joined my local Youth Council and I advocated for change in my local area. One of my main achievements has been to successfully organise the schools and wider community in my area, and successfully prevent the closure of our local libraries. During Covid, I helped start a global charity, called Better Tomorrow Education. This charity still exists today, and it has received a Diana Award. I have since started to be more involved in grassroots activism. In 2021, I joined the Youth Advisory Board for The Traveller Movement- an organisation advocating for Roma and Traveller rights. I also started International Law and Globalisation at the University of Birmingham, and started being involved in local activism. I have learned the connection between climate change and human rights, and how most issues are interconnected under the current system. I worked with students and academics to deliver political education on campus through the encampments, which has successfully politicised our student body much more than before. This has also allowed me to make connections with organisations and student networks around the country, and learn a lot about the different tactics and approaches that people use to tackle these common issues.

Follow Antonia's campaign on Instagram

Why are you standing to be a People & Planet student trustee?

I stand to be a student trustee of People and Planet, as I am enthusiastic about social and environmental justice,and I believe my skills and experience make me a strong candidate for this role. I have had different advocacy experiences as a student, I served as deputy speaker of the Students Union in the Federal University of Agriculture where I spearheaded efforts to promote the welfare of the students and environmental sustainability. My acquired academic backgrounds in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, Environmental Sustainability, and Environmental Management have provided me with deep understanding of how social and environmental problems are intertwined. I am excited about the prospect of applying this experience to People and Planet, working to develop the strategy of the organisation and ensure it remains student-led. I am attracted to the vision of People and Planet, a world, in which inequality, climate crisis, and resource depletion are turned back or reversed, and power is evenly distributed to benefit all. As a trustee, I will work to ensure more voices are heard: the students and communities that have been most affected by the injustice, and assist in creating a powerful, empowered generation of change-makers. I am committed to using my skills and experience in making my contributions to the mission of People and Planet and I look forward to the chance of working with other people who share my views in helping build a more just and sustainable world.

What skills and experience would you bring to the role?

I bring a strong combination of leadership, advocacy, and academic qualifications as a powerful contribution to the student trustee position. My experiences as the Deputy Speaker of the Students Union in the Federal University of Agriculture, showed that I can organize advocacy campaigns, lead campaigns, and raise the voices of students on matters related to social and environmental justice. This has refined my abilities in strategic planning, successful communication, and the stakeholder engagement, which are essential in influencing the board and promoting an inclusive discussion. My academic experience in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management with the added postgraduate knowledge in the area of Environmental Sustainability and Management gives me a good knowledge of the ecological system, management of resources and concept of sustainability. This information will prepare me to play a significant role in the long-term plans of People and Planet to solve the issue of climate change and depleted resources. Also, I have good collaborative abilities since I have been able to work with different organizations and partners to advance environmental programs. I am skilled at coalition-building, collective action, and advocacy in favor of marginalized groups, which is consistent with the goal of People and Planet to uphold social and environmental justice.

How do your values align with those of People & Planet?

Four values, which people and planet share the most, are social justice, environmental sustainability, and collective action, which I found to be deeply intertwined with mine. In my opinion, the foundations of the real change lie in equality, and empowering the underserved communities is the key to making the world fairer. This is in tandem with the vision of People and Planet of turning the tide of inequality in the world, and creating an inclusive and justice society where power is shifted towards those most impaced by injustice. One of my values is environmental stewardship. As a student of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, Sustainability and currently pursuing Environmental Management, I am determined to protecting the resources on the planet and encourage sustainable practices. In my opinion, preserving the environment is part and parcel of ensuring the future generations will live well and the climate crisis and resources depletion need a collective effort and structural transformation. I also appreciate community-based action and unity in the world. People and Planet have inspired me due to their focus on helping students and communities to become agents of change. In my opinion, collective liberation, knowledge, and collaboration are the only possible ways of making meaningful progress, and the values that can appeal to my personal vision of activism and advocacy. Lastly, my values include integrity, resilience, and adherence to lifelong learning.

Why are you standing to be a People & Planet student trustee?

The foremost reason I am standing to be a People and Planet Trustee is because, I genuinely do believe in the mission and organisation that I have been working for over the last four years, and its value as one of many tools for change. People and Planet is rare even among charities and advocacy organisations for the real, structural support it gives to its stated values of empowerment, justice and democracy - not only do I want to continue to benefit from such policies, by developing my skills in moving from student activist to student trustee, but I am also interested in learning how People and Planet governs itself in the context of being a registered charity, requiring funding and being subject to governmental policy and legal obligations. I want to work with people with the same values as me, moving against hierarchy, the concentration of power, and injustice, and I want to both witness and challenge their efforts to that end as a group of trustees and staff. To say that these times, the need for change, or the need for skilled young activists is unprecedented would possibly be minimising the darkness of our history - or at best, it'd be unoriginal. But it is an urgent truth that this need is present and loud. I think it's essential to keep learning as much as possible about how the necessary changes can be brought about, and that includes by means of charity work like at People and Planet.

What skills and experience would you bring to the role?

In working as a student, an organiser with P&P and other groups, and in various committee roles for my conservation volunteering organisation (not forgetting my slightly unfortunate job at Nando's as well!), I have developed a sharp sense of organisation and time management, alongside the ability to follow and facilitate meetings, work with others well, prioritise, cut through complex discussions to the most essential questions, and find effective resolutions to difficult problems. I think I work with flexibility, awareness of important team-building factors concerning welfare, accessibility, utilising skills and energy levels. While I have limited experience in organisational or financial governance, especially from a legal point of view, I have spent many years dipping my toes into the 'lite', student society versions of this, and am prepared to learn fast. I have experience in a variety of activist settings, including mass and small-group direct action, coalitional organising, remote and in-person negotiations, skillsharing/conducting workshops, network building, and in the use of social media. I work academically, in policy campaigns, and in conservation and social volunteering. I will not pretend to believe this makes me 'qualified' by any means; I feel there are many forms of experience I do not and cannot bring forward! But it does mean I have a wide-ranging understanding of what it means to work towards change, and there is certainly value in that.

How do your values align with those of People & Planet?

Since before joining P&P Edinburgh in my first year at university, and especially during my time here, I have challenged myself, with an open, curious, and self-critical eye, to live in alignment with my values and ideals - particularly those rooted in empathy and kindness, a sense of fairness/justice, integrity, courage, and creativity. I am more than aware of the ways I struggle to live up to those, but believe in the truly radical potential of firm, encouraging support for self-growth, and for the growth of other people. I've been influenced a lot in this regard by radical Black and queer feminism, and think my growing ability and willingness to hold myself accountable (to reflecting, in my actions, the kind of world I want to help create) is well-aligned with People and Planet's intentions as an organisation, and, similarly, my attention to relationships and community is well-suited to the nurturing role P&P can play for young activists. I am a firm and fierce believer in the interconnectedness of all struggles. Academically, I have frequently worked at the intersections between social and environmental injustices, especially in the areas of heritage and global food systems. I am as yet imperfectly putting my money(action) where my mouth is, but I will end by saying I believe that empowering and centring communities and marginalised people is necessary for the dispersal of power, and that this is a constant process. I would look forward to expanding on that as a student trustee.

Why are you standing to be a People & Planet student trustee?

I am standing to be a People & Planet student trustee because the future this organisation fights for is the future I want to help build. My activism is rooted in the belief that students have the power to challenge injustice and reshape the systems harming our communities and our planet. That belief began when I organised school climate strike actions as a teenager, a moment that proved how collective action can shift political reality. People & Planet is one of the few spaces where that power is not symbolic but real. It is where students refuse the status quo, practise grassroots democracy, and organise for a world grounded in justice, equity, and liberation. Being approached by People & Planet and my Students’ Union in my first year, and being told that I had the power to create change, was truly transformative. The support I received shaped the organiser and leader I am today; I now help others step into that same power through many other student campaigns. As I pursue a path in social justice policy, turning grassroots demands into structural change, I am ready to bring my lived organising experience and strategic skills into a trustee role. I want to help shape long-term direction, ensure financial and organisational stability, and protect the integrity of People & Planet’s mission as it grows. I am standing because I believe deeply in this vision and I want to help steward the organisation’s next chapter with clarity, courage, and collective accountability.

What skills and experience would you bring to the role?

I bring governance experience, policy expertise, and frontline organizing that directly align with the responsibilities of a People & Planet trustee. Through my Social Policy degree, I have developed a deep understanding of how institutions operate and how to challenge oppressive structures through evidence-based policy. Studying climate intersectionality, racism, and gendered violence in particular has strengthened my ability to design responses that address root causes of social injustice. My hands-on experience includes delivering People & Planet campaigns as a Fossil Free Divestment organizer and now as a Sabbatical Officer. I lead the Fossil Free Careers policy development and negotiate directly with senior university staff, balancing student mobilisation with complex institutional decision-making. I have learned to remain anchored in my values even when faced with institutional pushback. Beyond climate justice, I have worked with the Local Government to secure student transport discounts and co-organised the city’s largest ever Reclaim the Night march, which required rigorous risk management, safeguarding, and logistical planning. Critically, I bring robust oversight experience from my role on the Students’ Union Trustee Board. I have managed large budgets, scrutinised financial decisions to ensure long-term solvency, and ensured strict compliance with charity regulations and legal frameworks. This background in governance, combined with my experience updating university policy, ensures I can provide the accountability and stability necessary for trustee leadership. I am prepared to ensure People & Planet remains a principled, radical, and well-governed force for change, providing the strategic support necessary to sustain our staff, our students, and our movement.

How do your values align with those of People & Planet?

My values align with People & Planet through a shared commitment to intersectional justice, collective liberation, and student led power. With an understanding that the systems driving ecological breakdown are the same systems that uphold racism, colonialism, class inequality and gendered oppression. My academic work and activism have focused on understanding these structures and organising to dismantle them, which reflects People & Planet’s anti capitalist and anti colonialist foundations. Student empowerment is central to my politics. We are not passive beneficiaries but powerful political actors capable of shaping institutions and challenging injustice. In my campaigning and policy work, I have prioritised grassroots democracy, political education, and creating spaces where students can lead confidently and collaboratively. That mirrors People & Planet’s mission to build an empowered generation of organisers equipped with the skills and solidarity needed to transform the world. Ethical integrity also underpins how I work. I value transparency, accountability, and thoughtful risk taking, and I am committed to ensuring that organisational decisions always reflect our values rather than convenience or external pressure. As a trustee, I would bring strategic judgement, independence of thought, and a commitment to safeguarding the organisation’s mission and governance. In the words of Alice Walker, “the greatest way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any”. My activism, and my alignment with People & Planet, is rooted in ensuring that as students we recognise, claim, and use our power collectively.

Follow Ellie's campaign on Instagram

Why are you standing to be a People & Planet student trustee?

I am standing to be a People & Planet student trustee to help shape meaningful, structural change in how institutions respond to the climate and social justice crises, while ensuring that involvement is accessible to all students. I am particularly motivated to involve underrepresented and marginalised groups in sustainability decision-making. Climate action should not be led only by those with existing privilege or access; it must empower students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, disabled students, and communities of colour. As a trustee, I would work to make People & Planet’s campaigns, communications, and opportunities more accessible, ensuring engagement is not limited by financial, cultural, or academic barriers. As a disabled student, I believe advocacy, including climate justice, should be something everyone can participate in. I am passionate about People & Planet’s role in empowering students beyond advocacy alone. Alongside campaigning, I value approaches that help students stay motivated and able to sustain long-term involvement, particularly in the face of burnout or eco-anxiety. As a trustee, I would bring a thoughtful and constructive perspective, including a willingness to question how initiatives such as league tables, campaign priorities, and engagement strategies operate - not to criticise, but to make People & Planet more effective. I am actively involved in multiple student networks, so am well placed to amplify student voices and bring diverse perspectives into board decisions. I want to help People & Planet shape a fairer, more sustainable future: one where students are empowered not only to demand change, but to lead it.

What skills and experience would you bring to the role?

I would bring a combination of leadership, collaboration, and strategic thinking, shaped by both activism and practical experience in student-led projects. I’ve been involved in sustainability initiatives and energy management in my summer job at UWE, where I’ve taken part in board discussions and contributed to projects connected to Sustainable Development Goals. These experiences helped me understand how change evolves from within institutions, including the importance of flexibility, long-term planning, and keeping student voices at the centre of decisions. I’ve been involved in campaigning through Greenpeace, and through my committee roles in the Disability Action Group and People & Planet societies. Taking part in demonstrations - from fossil fuel accountability to challenging government inaction - has given me first-hand experience in mobilisation, public engagement, and movement-building. As a member of SUmmit (student-led council for Bath University's Student Union), my advocacy on behalf of the wider student body has already led to policy reflections regarding protester rights. My interests in environmental psychology and social dynamics behind effective campaigning allows insight into how collective action can be designed for social change. This shapes how I approach education and outreach, whether through workshops, discussions, or peer learning. I also have experience with budgeting, fundraising, and managing resources responsibly, and I take seriously the financial and legal responsibilities of trusteeship. Furthermore, my experience with eco-anxiety and climate overwhelm teaches me that meaningful action can transform fear into hope, driving my commitment to building campaigns that are not only effective, but supportive.

How do your values align with those of People & Planet?

My values strongly align with People & Planet’s commitment to social justice, environmentalism, and collective empowerment. I believe that people and the planet cannot be addressed in isolation: protecting one requires caring for the other. I care deeply about wellbeing at individual, community, and societal levels. Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and included, and I’m committed to challenging systems which reinforce inequality or place the burden of change on those with the least power. My interest in policy change and large-scale advocacy reflects my desire to create solutions that improve lives at a systemic level, rather than a purely individual basis. My environmental commitment is long-standing: I attended climate protests and school strikes from a young age, and I continue to engage in advocacy and sustainability initiatives. I’ve grown up with a strong sense that protecting the planet is not optional, but essential to our future. Driving a cultural shift toward a responsible future which values long-term planetary and societal health over short-term profit is essential. From a psychological perspective, I recognise the interconnectedness of basic human needs and environmental stability. As reflected in Maslow’s Hierarchy, we need safety and security to thrive - yet that safety depends on a livable planet. This drives my aspiration to pursue a career in research that integrates human wellbeing with environmental sustainability. People & Planet reflects the future I want to help build: where power is shared fairly, students shape decisions that affect them, and activism is grounded in justice, compassion, and hope.