Isabella, who is in the fourth year of a conjoint degree in law and biomedical science, began her two-year term on the council this year.
Last year, she served as Academic Vice President for Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA), working alongside the VUWSA President Rory Lenihan-Ikin, who happens to be her older brother.
Isabella is in the unusual position of having experienced student life at two other universities besides Victoria, doing a course at the University of Auckland while still at high school and spending her first year of tertiary study at Otago while she briefly considered a career in medicine.
As an enthusiastic follower of politics, she loves living in the capital city. And on campus, she has found students and staff to be very welcoming.
Isabella says the Council has a key role to play, not just in ensuring students receive a top flight education, but also in addressing key concerns such as the rental accommodation crisis and mental health issues.
“They are really important central components to the student experience, so we have to get them right.”
She says that while her work at VUWSA gave her valuable experience for her new role, being on the governing body is going to another level.
“I am so lucky at 21 to be on the governing body of a very large institution, the second biggest employer in Wellington, and be on it with members of Council who have so much experience. I am learning so much.”
Isabella joins fellow student member Alexandria Mark on the University Council.