Student Interest Board
Members of the Student Interest Board
The Student Interest Board is chaired by Caleb Stevens. The deputy chair is John Blake.
Read more about the members below.
Nkechi Adeboye (student member)
Nkechi is a Social Investment Analyst, and a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Sheffield. She holds an MSc in Development Studies and a BA in Business Management and Economics. In addition to her interests in fair access and participation in higher education, she is interested in financial inclusion, innovation, and technology as a force for social good.
Summer Dawn Andrews (student member)
Summer is a care-experienced undergraduate law student at the University of East Anglia. Prior to joining the Student Interest Board, Summer attended boarding school on a scholarship for A-levels. This opportunity provided exposure to a wide range of perspectives and played a significant role in shaping a strong commitment to social justice, equity, and the transformative power of education.
As someone who has navigated the education system with a care background, I understand the importance of listening to and amplifying underrepresented student voices. I joined the Student Interest Board to help make higher education more inclusive and accessible, and to ensure that policies and decisions reflect the diverse experiences of all students — not just the majority. I believe the Student Interest Board is a unique opportunity to make real change, and I'm proud to be part of it.
A fun fact about me is I have two cats, two dogs and four chickens.
John Blake (deputy chair)
John is Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students. John oversees our activity on equality of opportunity and access and participation. He is also responsible for student insight, information and engagement, distributing funding to universities and colleges, and our activity on lifelong learning. John is an executive member of the OfS board.
Ridhka Kakkar (student member)
Ridhka is an economics degree apprentice at the Office for National Statistics. Alongside this role, Ridhka co-chairs the Kent Apprentice Events and Socials Committee, organising events to support the apprentice community, and sits on two higher education youth advisory boards.
As someone still in higher education through an apprenticeship, I've seen first hand how different routes into learning are experienced and how valuable each route is. I'm passionate about making sure all student voices are heard and valued. From school councils to students' unions and advisory boards, I've always loved using my experiences to create positive change.
I was really excited at the opportunity to bring my perspective, as an apprentice and a minority, to the Office for Students Student Interest Board. I'm excited to work with others who are just as passionate about improving higher education. I can't wait to see what we'll achieve together!
I have a life-sized stuffed toy shark and dog!
Shani Louison-Thomas (student member)
Shani is a Campus Manager at Arden University with a passion for student support and delivering an excellent student experience.
As a mature and neurodivergent student myself, I understand the importance of inclusive, accessible education. I joined the Student Interest Board to use both my lived and professional experience to influence sector-wide conversations and help shape policies that centre student voices. I believe that education — whether formal or informal — can change lives.
Watch an interview with Shani on why she wanted to join the Student Interest Board.
I’m an avid reader and once read 50 books in a single year!
Oscar Minto (student member)
Oscar is a Student Experience Officer currently working at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Oscar has a passion for student representation and works closely with the school's Students' Representative Council to support its effectiveness.
Alongside work, Oscar is also studying the Bar Course at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy. Previously, he studied a Master of Laws at the London School of Economics and Political Science and before that, a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Reading.
I wanted to join the Student Interest Board to support the OfS in regulating in a way that best incorporates and engages with student interests. Having learnt so much from the students that I represent and work with, I am also really excited to learn from others on the board. Finally, being a disabled student, I am particularly keen in championing the rights and experiences of students with disabilities; I want to ensure that higher education institutions act equitably, providing inclusive environments and equal opportunities for those with disabilities.
I once set up at student society dedicated to running for buses. Surprisingly, it turned out to be quite popular.
Cassie O'Boyle (expert member)
Cassie is Head of Membership at University of Derby Union of Students, leading the strategic development of all things student life for the union and supporting her teams that deliver advice, activities, and voice for students.
Cassie's background is in students' unions, starting as Education Officer at the University of Nottingham Students' Union and continuing to work across the sector in both operations and membership roles.
I recognise that education has the power to change people's lives and have had the privilege of seeing that every day for the past eight years working in a students' union. At the same time, so many students face barriers to education, and I recognise the crucial role the Office for Students plays in changing that across the sector, embedding student voice and lived experience into policy and regulation. I want to be a part of that journey and look forward to working with the rest of the Student Interest Board to help continue to build a sector that genuinely works for all students.
I first got involved in my students' union in our union events team, where I got to help make Nottingham's biggest events happen like Varsity ice hockey, graduation ball and education awards.
Izzy Patterson (student member)
Izzy is an undergraduate engineer at Dyson, currently pursuing a degree apprenticeship at the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology.
I wanted to join the Student Interest Board because I am passionate about amplifying the voices of those around me, especially apprentices, and making a positive impact on a larger scale. I look forward to learning from the diverse experiences and perspectives within the Student Interest Board and contributing to the group.
I have participated in debates in three different countries.
Sian Pering (expert member)
Sian is the Head of Higher Education and Adult Learning at Yeovil College in South Somerset, where she is responsible for leading the provision of an exceptional educational experience for undergraduate and adult learners across domains including data, regulatory compliance, academic standards, pastoral support, outreach, and community engagement.
Before joining Yeovil College in 2019, Sian worked in outreach, as part of the consortium delivering the Uni Connect project across Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall.
Having worked in college-based higher education for many years, I am continually inspired by the transformational potential of community-based learning for both individuals and communities. I am exceptionally proud of the diverse learner community we serve at Yeovil College University Centre, a diversity which can be found in college-based higher education providers up and down the country.
I joined the Student Interest Board as I am passionate about ensuring the interests of the broadest range of higher education learners are represented in these strategic conversations, including those who aren't studying at a traditional university, mature students, commuting students, young carers, care leavers, higher and degree apprentices, and students with disabilities.
Prior to working in education, I worked in film, including having worked as a makeup artist at the BBC.
Chris Shelley (expert member)
Chris Shelley is the Director of Student Experience at Queen Mary University of London. He is responsible for ensuring students are supported through their journey from before they arrive to beyond graduation. His areas of responsibility include student wellbeing, registry, careers and enterprise and library services and a range of functions that support the journey of students.
He has previously held similar leadership positions at the University of Greenwich and King's College London and has served on the Executive Committee of AMOSSHE, the Student Services Organisation.
Ever since being a student I have been interested in the student experience and how it can be improved and shaped by students and universities working together. From being a course rep, a student society President, students' union sabbatical officer and then throughout all my full time roles in the sector I have always championed student interests, and worked alongside students to improve their experience. The opportunity to continue this work from a regulatory point of view as a member of the Student Interest Board is exciting and I look forward to learning from my fellow board members as well as contributing as much as I can.
My original chosen career path was to be an actor.
Fay Sherrington (expert member)
Fay is Director of Student Services at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, where she has worked for the past ten years. She has 20 years' experience in the higher education sector, having previously held roles at Lancaster University and the University of Salford.
Alongside her professional roles, Fay has contributed to sector-wide initiatives through voluntary positions, including involvement in the Universities UK and Guild HE Accommodation Code of Practice and as an Executive Member and Vice Chair of AMOSSHE, the Student Services Organisation.
I'm passionate about ensuring all students — regardless of background — can access, thrive in, and progress from higher education. Having worked in student services for almost two decades, I've seen the difference that national policy and sector collaboration can make. I'm excited to support the work of the Student Interest Board and contribute to shaping approaches that put students at the centre. This role offers a valuable opportunity to apply my experience to influence positive change and champion outcomes that truly reflect the needs and voices of students.
I'm a bit of a nature nerd and can't resist stopping to photograph a good tree, an unusual mushroom, or an especially moody sky. My camera roll is basically a tribute to the great outdoors.
Shaalinie Sivalingham (expert member)
Shaalinie is the Acting Head of Student Experience at the Royal College of Art. This job involves an assortment of responsibilities, but at its core, it concerns shaping services to ensure that the university's important provisions, whether in learning and teaching, student safety, or psychological support systems, remain in sync with student need.
Her career has been a meandering one — from a career adviser to a disability and inclusion specialist, to overseeing scholarships and financial assistance schemes. She has recently entered leadership roles and was, many years ago, a student parent herself.
One word: representation. I'd love to bring to light the underrepresented circumstances of students that may not often appear in discourse. I'm keen to progress debates with cultural sensitivity in mind. Also, having operated for almost eight years in a wholly postgraduate art and design institution, paying attention to students' experiences pursuing studies beyond their bachelors' degree is important to me.
Watch an interview with Shaalinie on why she wanted to join the Student Interest Board.
I was taught Bharatanatyam, the ancient and classical South Indian dance style based on storytelling. In another universe, and with more grace, I may have made a career out of it!
Alex Stanley (Vice President (Higher Education) of NUS)
Alex has been Vice President of Higher Education at the National Union of Students since July 2024. His main role is to represent students in higher education and to advocate and campaign for their best interests. Prior to NUS, he studied BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics before spending a year as the Education Officer at Exeter Students’ Guild.
I have spent the last five years either being a student or being a full-time student representative, so I am delighted to be able to harness that experience through the Student Interest Board. I hope that this Board will be a useful mechanism with regard to influencing the direction of the Office for Students and its regulation, particularly with their expanding work on the student interest beyond the Student Interest Board.
When I was at school I was in a band - I was the lead singer and it lasted about a month!
Michael Steele (student member)
Michael is a student of Clinical Science at the University of Bradford with a passion for healthcare, justice and education. Before joining the board, he was a member of the OfS student panel where he focused on good governance and student wellbeing. He was also a student officer at Bradford College where he helped design and implement a social space for students after the pandemic.
I am passionate about helping people and wanted to join the board to help drive regulation that ensures a quality educational experience that is safe, rewarding and open to all. I am looking forward to sharing the work of the student panel with new members and continuing the work of promoting the student voice at a strategic level.
I am a volunteer at my local hospital!
Caleb Stevens (chair)
Caleb is a postgraduate student at the University of Exeter studying an MBA apprenticeship degree. He was previously awarded an MA in Diplomacy and International Relations at Lancaster University and a BA (Hons) in Public Services at the University of Plymouth.
Caleb brings extensive experience as a safeguarding lead across public bodies, including in education, and currently serves as the Parliamentary Safeguarding Lead for the UK Parliament. Alongside his operational responsibilities, he has held a range of governance roles and was appointed the youngest Magistrate in 2017, later becoming the youngest Presiding Justice in 2024 for the Ministry of Justice. A committed advocate for youth representation, Caleb actively champions the inclusion of young people’s perspectives within formal governance structures.
In addition to chairing the Student Interest Board, Caleb attends full Board meetings and is a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee.
Joseph Thornber (student member)
Joseph is currently a postgraduate Psychology of Music student at the University of Sheffield, having just finished an undergraduate degree in music also at the University of Sheffield. Joseph has represented both disabled students and students with caring needs through school advisory boards and local council working groups alongside his research, and plans to continue to do similar work after graduating from his postgraduate degree.
I have always been passionate about representing students' interests, especially those from underrepresented groups. My lived experience as a carer, commuting student, and a student who has been in the Disabled Students’ Allowance system has provided me with insight and experience into the needs of these particular groups and I want to represent them in these meaningful discussions and drive positive change.
Watch an interview with Jospeh on why he wanted to join the Student Interest Board.
I'm ambidextrous and often find myself using both hands at the same time!
Cassie Wilson (expert member)
Cassie is the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Student Experience at the University of Bath. In this role she has strategic oversight of the student experience including support and wellbeing, engagement, and employability for students across all levels of study. Cassie took up her role in 2021 and prior to this she held various leadership roles at both the University of Bath and Cardiff Metropolitan University. Cassie is a Professor of Sport and Exercise Biomechanics and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
I have over 20 years of experience in higher education and to date I have used this to enhance the student experience within the institutions in which I have worked. I am now eager to use my experience to contribute more widely across the sector. I am also very keen to work with colleagues and students from a wide range of institutions and backgrounds to broaden my own understanding of student priorities.
I have recently joined a Masters Artistic Swimming team.
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