Sarah Abdillahi (MOTIVATE UTSC) 

Sarah Abdillahi, a fifth-year population health studies major with a double minor in psychology and city studies, is running for re-election as the president of the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) on the MOTIVATE UTSC slate. If re-elected, Abdillahi hopes to build on the work she has done this year, such as expanding the COVID-19 bursary that was created last year. 

In an interview with The Varsity, she noted that since she has experience being SCSU president during the pandemic, she has the skills necessary to go through another year of working online. Abdillahi added that she is passionate about providing students with a platform to voice their needs and consulting with a variety of community stakeholders. 

“If you don’t have a student sitting at the table telling you how students actually feel or how students actually want things done, then you cannot say that this is what’s best for students,” Abdillahi said.

In a new term, Abdillahi would focus on providing students with more financial and mental health support. This would include providing first-year students with a support centre and improving mental health services.

Eesha Chaudhry (Connect UTSC) 

Eesha Chaudhry, a fourth-year student in population health studies and international development studies, is also running for SCSU president. She currently serves as the SCSU’s vice-president external. Chaudhry also serves as the president of HOSA UTSC, an organization for aspiring health care professionals, and is a member of the Toronto Youth Cabinet. 

Chaudhry said that as the vice-president external for the SCSU this past year, she has prioritized issues such as mental health, transit, housing, and government relations. 

Chaudhry is running for president because she wants to give back to the community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I got to see firsthand the many adversities and challenges and struggles that not only our membership, but folks all over Scarborough, all over Canada, have been experiencing from the pandemic,” she said. 

As president, Chaudhry would increase financial aid for students by expanding SCSU bursaries, and establish an international student bursary and student committee. Her plan for environmental conservation includes introducing TerraCycle boxes on campus and collaborating with students and environmental groups on and off campus to implement other sustainable solutions. 

She would also lobby administrators and UTSC Health and Wellness to hire more mental health professionals. She emphasized that her mental health plan will “ensure that students are being involved in every step of the way.”

The voting period for the SCSU elections will be held from March 2–4.