<p>There are moments in life that are difficult to put into words, and this is certainly one of them.</p>
<p>To every student who took the time to vote, whether you voted for me or took part in the democratic process, thank you. It is an incredible privilege to have been elected as your next Open SU President (starting in August 2026), and I don&#8217;t take that responsibility lightly.</p>
<p>As one chapter comes to a close, another begins. It feels fitting that this is a passing of the baton from one woman to another. I have had the privilege of watching our current President lead with compassion, integrity and determination. Much of the work she has done has happened quietly, behind the scenes, without fanfare or expectation of applause. She has worked tirelessly for students simply because she believes they deserve the very best, and that is something I deeply admire. I hope to continue building on that legacy while bringing my own experiences and perspective to the role.</p>
<p>One thing you will quickly learn about me is that I won&#8217;t promise what I cannot realistically deliver.</p>
<p>It would be easy to stand here with a long list of ambitious pledges, but students deserve honesty more than empty promises. Some changes take time. Some require collaboration. Some may not happen as quickly as any of us would like.</p>
<p>What I can promise is this: you will always know what I&#8217;m working on, why I&#8217;m working on it, and where things stand. If something is difficult, I&#8217;ll tell you. If something isn&#8217;t possible, I&#8217;ll explain why. If we succeed, we&#8217;ll celebrate together. Openness and transparency aren&#8217;t campaign slogans for me; they&#8217;re how I believe trust is built.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve always believed that education should belong to everyone.</p>
<p>Whether you&#8217;re on day 1 or day 1,000 of your Open University journey, studying from a hospital bed, between night shifts, while raising children, living with a disability, returning to education after decades away, or logging in from the other side of the world, your voice matters equally.</p>
<p>Every student deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and kindness. Every student deserves the opportunity to learn, to belong and to be heard, regardless of their background, ethnicity, identity, disability, financial circumstances or life experience. Diversity isn&#8217;t something to accommodate; it&#8217;s something that strengthens our entire community.</p>
<p>As many of you know, I&#8217;ve never been afraid to ask difficult questions or challenge things that can be better. I&#8217;ll continue to do that. But I&#8217;ll also continue listening first, because the best ideas rarely come from one person alone.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m incredibly excited to begin working alongside our new Student Leadership Team. I can&#8217;t wait to get to know them better, learn from their experiences and work together on behalf of students across the University. We all bring different strengths, and together I believe we can achieve more than any one of us could alone.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m also looking forward to meeting many more of you over the coming year. Whether that&#8217;s at events, online meetings, club activities, tutorials or simply through a message saying &#8220;I&#8217;ve got an idea,&#8221; please come and say hello. I promise I don&#8217;t bite, although there is a reasonable chance I&#8217;ll be accompanied by stories about my cats or references to metal music!</p>
<p>Thank you once again for placing your trust in me.</p>
<p>This role isn&#8217;t about one person. It&#8217;s about every student who chose The Open University to change their future.</p>
<p>Now it&#8217;s time to get to work.</p>
<p>Scarlet James<br />
President-elect, Open SU</p>
<p>[zombify_post]</p>

Thank you for your trust
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