Shakira Martin (NUS president) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shakira Martin
Martin addressing the 2017 NUS National Conference in Brighton.
59th President of the National Union of Students
In office 3 July 2017 – 3 July 2019
Preceded by	Malia Bouattia
Succeeded by	Zamzam Ibrahim
Vice President for Further Education
In office 23 April 2015 – 3 July 2017
Preceded by	Joe Vinson
Succeeded by	Emily Chapman
Personal details
Born	1988 (age 36–37)
Alma mater	Lewisham and Southwark College

Shakira Martin (born 1988) is a British student leader. She was the president of the National Union of Students (NUS). The NUS is a big group that represents students across the UK.

In April 2017, Shakira Martin won the election for NUS president. She was the union's vice-president for further education before this. She won with 56% of the votes. The previous president, Malia Bouattia, faced some challenges. Shakira promised to bring "unity" and "pragmatism" to the NUS. She also wanted to give the "NUS back to its members."

Shakira describes herself as a black working-class single mother. Her family comes from Jamaica. She was the first Black female NUS president. She was also the first woman from the African-Caribbean community to lead the NUS. She was only the second NUS president who had not studied at university. In March 2018, she was re-elected for a second term. She won with 51% of the votes.

Shakira Martin's Early Life

Growing Up in London

Shakira Martin grew up in Lewisham, south-east London. She was one of nine children. Her parents were from Jamaica.

She became a mother to two children. Later, she earned a diploma in education and training. She studied at Lewisham and Southwark College. While there, she became the President of the College's Students' Union.

Becoming a Student Leader

In 2015, Shakira was elected as the NUS Vice President for Further Education. This happened at the NUS National Conference in Liverpool. She won with 141 votes.

In this role, she led a campaign. It aimed to show how government changes affected students. She strongly supported students and apprentices.

She was re-elected for this role in April 2016. She ran unopposed and won easily. She worked on a project with Sir Vince Cable. This project looked at how to improve education for students. The report was published in 2017.

Leading the National Union of Students

Starting as President

Shakira Martin became NUS president in July 2017. She met with the Union of Jewish Students. Her goal was to "build back trust" with them. She wanted to address their concerns seriously.

Her main project was to start a group to study student poverty. This group made 40 suggestions. These ideas were well-received by other university groups.

Second Term and Challenges

In March 2018, Shakira was re-elected for a second term. She promised to "fight student poverty." She also wanted to "defend student rights" and "create a truly united NUS." She welcomed all students, even those with different political views.

Her second term focused on the NUS's money situation. The organization faced financial challenges. Shakira told members that they needed to take "urgent action." They developed new plans to fix the union's finances.

These plans included big changes to how the NUS worked. At a conference, 700 student delegates voted for these changes. Shakira was happy with the vote. She called it a "momentous decision" to support reform.

Shakira Martin finished her term in July 2019. Zamzam Ibrahim became the next NUS president.