Representing more than 21,000 students the Queen’s Alma Mater Society (AMS) executive team is an integral part of the undergraduate experience.

At the helm for 2023-24 is President Kate McCuaig, closely supported by Vice-President (Operations) Michelle Hudson and Vice-President (University Affairs) Victoria Mills. Together, they comprise the first-ever all-female AMS Executive team. Through their leadership, the group hopes to rebuild relationships within the student community that were strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The executive trio began their student leadership involvement by assisting with orientation activities, an experience they say helped grow their appreciation for community as they watched first-year students recognize Queen’s as their home. This emphasis on community has carried over into their platform, through which they look to increase the accessibility of AMS services for undergraduates. To achieve this goal, the team is re-implementing the First-Year Internship Program, with plans for expansion. Students who participate in the program will be partnered with an upper-year mentor who matches their personality traits.

“If you don’t know where to start, it’s a great place to start,” says McCuaig. “You are partnered up with someone who is heavily involved with the AMS, knows the innerworkings of the Queen’s student community, and can help you explore the different possibilities that Queen’s offers.” 

The team is also re-instating the First-Year Advice Campaign, through which first-year students in residence receive a hand-written card from a Queen’s alumnus providing advice rooted in their own personal experience.

“I know it means a lot for people to have someone who has gone through this experience give personalized advice,” says Mills. “Michelle and I still have ours as a reminder of where we started and the people who helped us along the way.”  

Another core pillar of the team’s platform is inclusion and equal representation for all. To address this the team wants to expand the relationship between the AMS and Queen’s Yellow House, the student center for equity and inclusion. The team also aims to expand the student health plan to include gender-affirming care, they explain.

“We really want to ensure that all students are supported,” says Hudson. “This is a great opportunity to support those who haven’t been represented in our insurance plan in the past.”

Above all, the team emphasized that they hope to ensure undergraduate students feel supported by the AMS and have opportunities to engage and become involved with the organization’s activities.

To learn more about AMS and the current executive team visit their website.