Meet Oliver, better known as Ollie, your Guild President for 2026!
After being born in Perth, Ollie spent his first eleven years in Wyoming and Colorado, skiing and picking up “a pretty odd accent, which thankfully I lost when I came back to Perth”. Back home, he honed his leadership skills at high school (hello chess club president!) and came to UWA to study chemistry and biology, followed by a Doctor of Medicine.
While living at St Catherine’s College, he met fellow resident 2023 Guild President Geemal Jayawickrama, who helped spark his interest in the role of the Guild. His roles as Residential Advisor and later President at St Cat’s deepened his passion for student wellbeing and strengthened his leadership skills.
That commitment to helping students now drives his goals as Guild President, where one of his top priorities is ensuring students have the support they need to navigate the challenges they face.
I would love to leave the Guild and UWA in a more compassionate place, where no student feels isolated or unsupported. Whether that be through providing financial support and counselling for the cost-of-living crisis, proactive action on gender-based violence, or the promotion of good mental health literacy, we want to support students in every way possible.
He also wants to continue to strengthen the strong campus culture by supporting student-led clubs, providing safe, respectful and fun Guild events, and making it easier for students to find their niche and integrate into uni life.
You might recognise Ollie from his role as 2025 Guild Vice President, where he learned just how important the Guild’s role is in supporting students. It’s a long way from 2022, when he started at UWA and didn’t know what the Guild was!
“There is an enormous amount of organisation, advocacy, and work that goes into the UWA student experience, so it’s humbling to be trusted to lead that this year. It’s also great to know that even if students are like me back in my first year, completely unaware of the Guild, we can and most certainly still will advocate for them!”
When Ollie is not on the job, you’ll find him at James Oval enjoying the sunsets or playing touch rugby. Plus, it’s not far from the Tav, his other favourite place on campus!
If you want to learn more about what the Guild does, and how they can support you (or if you’re a Clash of Clans fan – Ollie has a maximum level town hall), visit the Guild between 9 am – 5pm, or connect online through socials or via email.
Head to www.uwastudentguild.com for more information.
