Anisha M
JCR Access and Equalities Representative
Hello! My name is Anisha. I am a 2nd year studying PPE, and the Access and Equalities Rep for Merton College. This means I oversee matters of equality between undergraduates at Merton (in terms of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, religion, etc.) as well as working with the Schools Liaison Officer to support with outreach events like the Open Days for prospective students. I also support with the access account on Instagram (@mertonaccess give it a follow!), where I try to demystify Oxford life and encourage applications to Merton.
I chose Merton for so many different reasons (of which I will and have explained to people in very long rants). The beautiful gardens, quiet grounds and friendly people are some of the most important things to me since they really make Merton special to me. Merton has continued to be a place I'm proud to call home, particularly because of the staff who are always willing to help, and the extensive welfare support (shout out the weekly donuts!).
As a Student Ambassador I helped out at most Open Days and found joy in helping prospective students to understand Oxford (especially Merton) and the admissions process. I remember vividly being your age in sixth form (or secondary school) and not even understanding what PPE was until I went to Open Days, so I wanted to continue to make this knowledge accessible (by making it my job!).
I've also supported Interview Preparation Workshops Merton puts on with the Social Mobility Foundation. This was a programme I was (and still am) on that equipped me with the necessary knowledge for making a competitive application to Oxford. To be on the other side of things, informing instead of learning, was a surreal moment for me, but I really did appreciate that this cycle continued after I gained from it (and hope others will too).
To me, access means allowing everyone to have the necessary knowledge and resources to achieve whatever they put their mind to. In my experience, that started by simply getting into Oxford, and progressed into getting an internship - both of which would have been impossible without the help of access initiatives and programmes like the ones Merton and the University run. Knowing how it benefitted me, I hope to do the same for others.
If you have any questions, please email me at jcr.access@merton.ox.ac.uk!
