Lily Marsh

JCR Access and Equalities Representative

Hi! My name is Lily and I’m a second-year PPEist and also the Access and Equal Opportunities Rep for Merton College. This means I work with Tia, the Schools Liaison Officer, to help support outreach events like school visits and the Open Days for prospective students. I also run the access account on Instagram (@mertonjcraccess give it a follow!), where I try to encourage applications to Merton and explain general Oxford life. For Equal Opportunities, I represent the students’ interests on matters of equality when liaising with the College about gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, religion, etc. 

I mostly chose Merton because of the subsidised living costs (we have some of the cheapest rent and food prices of all colleges), but also because of the community feel, beautiful gardens and incredible history. What has been most special to me about Merton is all the friendly people and how at home I feel. This is not just because of my peers but also all the staff who are always willing to help and the extensive welfare support. 

As part of my role, I also help out with Offer Holder Days and Open Days, as I take a lot of joy in helping prospective students to understand Oxford/Merton and the admissions process. I know schools and colleges offer variable levels of Oxbridge and university application support, and so my aim is to make the information about these processes as accessible as possible. 

To me, access means allowing everyone to have the necessary knowledge and resources to achieve whatever they put their mind to. I know getting into Oxford for me would have been even more difficult without the support I received and access initiatives and programmes the University ran, and so I hope I can help others in the same way. 

If you have any questions, please email me at jcr.access@merton.ox.ac.uk or contact our Schools Liaison and Access Officer!