Why am I standing?

This was a question that I had to ask myself long and hard before taking the plunge and submitting my nomination...
Was it because I fancy a year out? No. Was it because I like the idea of 16 hustings? Well seeing as I'm not the best public speaker in the world - I guess the answer would have to be no.
I think the main reason that I came up with was that thinking about it - Access is what I love doing, and is what I feel passionate about.

I'll be honest, there is something that I spend more time doing than access work, but there's not a huge amount of difference in it, it's a slight distraction called a law degree. But that aside, access projects are what I love doing! Whether it's visiting 20 schools on my own to give talks over the summer, or hosting a group of Year 10 students for their first visit to Cambridge - there's just that feeling I guess about knowing that you are really making a difference. I'd probably say I'm a bit of an access addict (if there is such thing!) - whether it's creating new college access projects, applying to be a Cambridge Ambassador, doing access work for CUSU or even for the Law Faculty of Archaeology Dept, I just love being involved.

I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that I know how beneficial these access programmes are. I remember my senior tutor mentioning the idea of Oxbridge to me about when I was nearing the end of Year 12, and I could have fallen off my chair (it took them long enough to make me think about University!) - My parents never went to uni, neither did my friends, or anyone in that street for that matter - so surely that wasn't the kind of thing that people like me did was it? Funny how things turn out - 3 years later and I'm standing for CUSU Access Officer as I approach the end of my 2nd year in law. Didn't see that one coming!

So... how am I feeling now? Nervous? No. Slightly terrified? That's probably more like it.
Oh well, I guess that's part and parcel of the game (and nothing can be more scary than the video hustings right?) - Guess I'll have to wait and see!