{"id":20406,"date":"2025-06-25T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/?p=20406"},"modified":"2025-06-09T09:22:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T08:22:05","slug":"confessions-of-a-bexhill-girl-gone-green-my-sgo-chapter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/sustainability\/confessions-of-a-bexhill-girl-gone-green-my-sgo-chapter\/","title":{"rendered":"Confessions of a Bexhill Girl Gone Green- My SGO Chapter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I first found out I\u2019d gotten an interview for the Student Green Office, I reacted with the composure of a calm, collected adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just kidding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was practically bouncing around the room like an overcaffeinated squirrel. I couldn\u2019t believe it \u2014 me, shortlisted for a role that combined creativity, sustainability, and student voice? It felt like a dream\u2026 until my Wi-Fi decided to turn it into a bit of a nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picture this: it\u2019s August. The kind of August that wants to be sunny but instead decides to launch a full monsoon. I’m sat at my desk, dressed semi-professionally (let\u2019s not talk about the pyjama bottoms), nerves doing backflips, laptop fully charged, notes all ready. I\u2019m hyping myself up \u2014 you\u2019ve got this, breathe, don\u2019t talk too fast, smile\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then\u2026 the rain got heavier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And my Wi-Fi said: \u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within minutes of starting the interview, everything went glitchy. Video freezing. Audio cutting. That awkward moment when you\u2019re nodding at a question you didn\u2019t even hear. I tried not to panic, but my laptop clearly had other plans. Eventually, I had to ditch the call entirely and switch to my phone \u2014 crouched awkwardly by the router, camera off, screen soggy with stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point, I remember thinking, there\u2019s no way they\u2019re picking me. I mean, who hires the person who couldn\u2019t even keep their connection stable for thirty minutes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently\u2026 they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And honestly? That chaotic, rain-drenched, camera-less interview set the perfect tone for what turned out to be one of the most rewarding, unexpected, and joyfully unpredictable experiences of my uni life. Because if there\u2019s one thing I learned from SGO, it\u2019s that sometimes the messiest starts lead to the most meaningful moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still remember induction day like it just happened \u2014 mostly because I was running purely on adrenaline and the fear of being late. I\u2019d literally moved in just one hour before it started. One. Hour. I\u2019d woken up at 5:30am in Bexhill (yep, the seaside town I mentioned in my very first SGO blog), jumped into a taxi, and made the two-hour journey to uni, bags and nerves in tow. By the time I arrived, there was no time to settle in, unpack, or even take a proper breath. I dropped my stuff, grabbed my bag, and basically sprinted to the SGO induction, convinced I\u2019d already missed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turns out, I was on time. Actually, a bit early (go me?). But I showed up a sweaty, sleep-deprived little goblin of a human, half convinced I\u2019d forgotten how to speak. And yet \u2014 it was amazing. Seeing everyone in person for the first time, meeting the faces behind the emails and messages, and realising this is real, I\u2019m actually here \u2014 it was overwhelming in the best way. I was tired, yes, but also buzzing with excitement and genuinely so happy just to be a part of it. That day set the tone for what the whole year would become: a little chaotic, very fast-paced, and full of energy \u2014 but something I wouldn’t change for the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all that drama just to make it to induction, I guess you\u2019re wondering \u2014 what exactly did I do this year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image description: Amitheesha and Maddie at Fresher’s Fair<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It all started at Freshers\u2019 Fair. Bright-eyed, slightly confused, and powered by hot chocolate and nerves, I found myself sitting next to Maddie (SGO Officer and a fellow green soul) at our stall, trying to get people to sign up for our sustainability newsletter. I\u2019m not going to lie \u2014 the first few \u201chi! do you want to join our newsletter?\u201d attempts felt mildly terrifying. But it ended up being so much fun. I was with my friend, I was part of something new, and it was the first time I really felt like, oh wow, I\u2019m in this now. And I haven\u2019t stopped since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, the blog posts started rolling. It all began with my first ever blog \u2014 a soft little intro from a Bexhill-on-Sea girl talking about sea air, sustainability, and why I care about the planet in the first place. That post felt like a digital handshake to the world of SGO, and even though I was definitely nervous, it was the beginning of me realising how much I loved writing about this stuff. From there, I rolled straight into autumn with a blog on Seasonal Affective Disorder (timely, because same), followed by some leaf-themed upcycling and a winter post on keeping the cold out and your energy bills down \u2014 which hit way too close to home. My most popular piece? That honour goes to Roses Are Red, But Are They Green?; a Valentine’s blog where I tore into the flower industry with sass, facts, and a slight existential crisis. People actually liked it\u2026 which still shocks me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then things got emotional. I sobbed through Mother Nature Called \u2014 She Wants Her Wildlife Back, wandered through Lost in the Woods while thinking about mental health and nature, and wrote Bridging Generations, a heartfelt piece about the beauty of learning from older people (shoutout to my care home days!). My sciencey side came out for National DNA Day, and I really got in my biomedical bag with Your Immune System Is Pulling a Double Shift for World Health Day \u2014 basically an ode to our poor, overworked immune systems. And then came the grand finale: Love Is Blind, but Even It Can See All the Space Trash, where I took romance and launched it into orbit (literally), talking about the mess we\u2019re making even beyond Earth. That one felt like the perfect send-off \u2014 quirky, dramatic, a little chaotic, and full of heart. Just like this whole year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image description: Amitheesha standing at the front of a classroom during her event “The Heat Is On”<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And of course, I can\u2019t forget \u201cThe Heat Is On: Can our Health Keep Up?\u201d \u2014 my first ever SGO event and quite possibly the most stressful (and rewarding) thing I did all year. I spent what felt like an eternity writing email after email, trying to get a venue, confirm the topic, organise the promo\u2026 and let me tell you, nothing hits quite like that one joyful ping when someone finally replies after weeks of radio silence. I honestly thought it wouldn\u2019t happen \u2014 but it did. And the whole process taught me so much: how to plan, communicate, stay calm under pressure (ish), and most of all, how to trust myself a little more. Hosting the event, talking about the impact of rising temperatures and what we can do to keep up with climate change, was such a full-circle moment. I walked in feeling unsure, but I left proud \u2014 and slightly sweaty. It turns out the heat was on\u2026 but so was I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, I honestly can\u2019t believe how much I\u2019ve grown this year. When I first got the role, I was so nervous \u2014 constantly second-guessing myself, worrying I wasn\u2019t experienced enough, or that my ideas wouldn\u2019t land. But this opportunity pushed me (gently but firmly!) out of my comfort zone. From blogging and running events to speaking up in meetings and collaborating with new people, I\u2019ve learned how to trust myself more, speak with confidence, and embrace the beautiful chaos of trying something new. I\u2019m especially grateful for the friendships I made \u2014 whether it was bonding over Canva struggles, laughing through long Teams calls, or just feeling like I belonged in a team that genuinely cares. The SGO gave me a voice, and I\u2019m so thankful I took the chance to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image description: Maddie, Flic, Amitheesha and Holly posing on Anselm Lawn<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As for what\u2019s next \u2014 for me and for the SGO \u2014 I hope we keep pushing boundaries, having uncomfortable conversations, and making sustainability feel inclusive, creative, and fun. I\u2019d love to see even more collaboration across courses and communities, and maybe more opportunities for storytelling, because that\u2019s what really connects people to change. As for me, I\u2019ll keep carrying everything I\u2019ve learned here \u2014 from writing and event-planning to just believing in myself a little more \u2014 into whatever I do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you, SGO, for letting me be part of something so special. It\u2019s been weird, wonderful, a little sweaty at times, and absolutely unforgettable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signing off, your slightly chaotic but endlessly grateful SGO gal.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Amitheesha Ganesh, SGO Projects Officer<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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