Get to know your Union President for 2024/25, Leen Ali.

Hi Leen! Can you tell us about your role at the Students’ Union?

As Union President, I am the overall representative for Stirling students and an ambassador for the Students’ Union.

My responsibilities include promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as chairing meetings such as the Equalities Zone and the SU’s General Meeting.

I’m committed to ensuring every student has a voice, and I’m here to support them whenever needed.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Definitely speaking to students!

Being swept into meetings and stuck behind a screen is my least favourite…

Can you describe yourself in three words?

I would say fair, caring and leader.

How can students get in touch with you?

The best thing students can do is email me on president.union@stir.ac.uk.

Thanks Leen. Now onto the quickfire round:

Cats or dogs? Cats. I think they’re cuter.

Music or movies? Music. I connect to music differently.

Summer or winter? Summer. Although when I was in Sudan, which is my home country, I would have said winter. Winters in Sudan are different from here, it’s like spring weather. Having come to Scotland, I crave the sun – so I wouldn’t say winter now.

Sweet or savoury food? I’m a savoury person. I used to have a big sweet tooth, but the older I got, the more I drifted towards savoury food.

Tea or coffee? I have coffee for the caffeine, but my preference is tea.

Night out or night in? Night out, most definitely. Although I don’t drink, I still love going out, as I love dancing and socialising.

Android or iPhone? iPhone.

Audio book or physical book? I would say physical book. I love listening to audio books, but if I’m reading a physical book, I can play music in the background and not have any exposure to a device. I’m exposed to different devices all the time, so it’s great to shut down and just read a book.

Texting or voice messaging? I’m a voice message person. I once sent an 18-minute voice note, not missing one detail. I always find the time to listen to voice messages and respond. I don’t like texting.

Mondays off or Fridays off? Fridays off. I used to have Fridays off in Sudan, as it’s a Muslim country. There would be noon prayers (times are various depending on the positioning of the sun and the time of the day). It doesn’t take long, but that’s why people typically don’t work Fridays there. So yeah, when I came to the UK, working on Fridays was definitely an adjustment.

You can find out more about Leen and her role on the Students’ Union website.