Marie Hie

  • Marie stood up smiling wearing a navy blue zip up long-sleeved top with the JMSU logo
  • Marie wearing a cap and gown at a graduation ceremony in 2022

Marie Hie is the 2022/23 President of Liverpool John Moores Students’ Union (JMSU) and a forensic psychology and criminal justice graduate.

Before being elected in March 2022, she was already involved with the Students’ Union as part-time BAME Officer working simultaneously with the Diversity and Inclusivity team and the Decolonising the Curriculum Working Group.

The main objectives for her time in post focus on inclusion and intersectionality. Already Marie has led on the Winter Break Social, making sure that students who stayed on campus during the holidays could spend time with other students. The purpose was to combat loneliness and to support those without the means to return home.

“Not often do you have a 23-year-old assigned so many responsibilities and so much power, nor sitting in rooms where I know my voice and the student voice counts. The student gets to make a difference to their experience through me. We get to speak and work with students from different courses, which is quite amazing.”

– Marie Hie

Marie is also featured in our ‘Humans of LJMU’ series in collaboration with the ‘Humans of Liverpool’ social media account, sharing the stories of the people who make our city, communities and university the vibrant, inclusive place it is in celebration of our bicentenary year.

In her interview she reflects on her transformational university experience at LJMU, her role as JMSU President and her future hopes to become a police officer.

Marie’s ‘Humans of LJMU’ interview

“I was born in the Ivory Coast in West Africa, and then I grew up in Italy, but people tell me I have picked up a bit of a scouse twang in the few years I’ve lived here. The education system here is so different to back in Italy. I’ve learnt so much more, and I’m much more expressive and vocal than I used to be. I’ve also become more open-minded and learnt more about social justice. The people I have around me day to day really inspire me and challenge me. Different friends bring different things to my life. The way they think makes me think in a different way and affects the way I approach certain topics. I’m really grateful for that. It was those friends that encouraged me to run for President of the Students Union, which has completely transformed my university experience.

“I wouldn’t have been able to go into meetings with senior people like I do now without eating my words if I hadn’t come here and had the amazing experience I have had. Now I do that all the time as president of JMSU. In different rooms, you have to have a different persona, ‘a different hat in each space,’ we always say in the student officer team. What to say and when to say it, what is and isn’t appropriate. I’ve made so many great connections with students and senior staff, people from all walks of life. I think that and the skills I picked up in my forensic psychology and criminal justice degree will really help me going forward in my future career, as I plan to go into the Police next year. I think these are the skills you need to succeed as a police officer.”