With the academic year drawing to a close, outgoing Vice President for Engagement and Development Eimear Maguire reflected on her biggest challenges; the incorporation and finding her feet in the newly created position.
“It was always going be a tough year this year with the incorporation. We were dealt with a hard card but we knew that going into it” she said.
“I had so many different things I wanted to do, but you don’t realise that on a day to day, you also have ten meetings and like twenty students.”
Despite the challenge of engaging with St. Patrick’s College and All Hallows College, Maguire added “I think that was probably my best attribute this year, that I was physically on all three campuses as regularly as I could be”.
Maguire’s highlight of the year was representing DCU at the USI congress. “We had great speakers up and it was just a great week for DCU. To see DCU presented on a national level and people from DCU actually caring about that” she said. “I personally find that really fulfilling that you’re making a change.”
She also referred to her involvement in the National Student Engagement Program, work in the training of class reps as outlined in her manifesto, and her work to ensure 50 bikes between campuses for the coming year as some of her greatest achievements.
Maguire mentioned her campaign for president, saying: “I felt there was more I could have done if I had an extra year” and advised incoming VP Siobhán McTague to stand up for what she believes in. “I feel like she has a very strong voice and she’ll be able to put up a good fight.”
Her degree was in Geography and Human Development, in St. Patrick’s College, but Maguire says she has recently lost interest in becoming a teacher in the future. “Now I’ll probably go into politics or some kind of public office” she said. “I think representing minorities is probably one of my bigger interests.”
Fionnuala Walsh