Joanne La

Hi, I’m Joanne La! I’m a current first-year Biology student who’s (honestly) not amazing at keeping plants alive, but very good at admiring them and would like to touch grass more often. I’m running for Botanical Society Vice President because I think the society has loads of potential to be more active, more social, and a little more outdoorsy.

My interest in botanical science leans towards practicality: I have authored a paper on plant energy and sustainability, worked on agritech projects in the industry, and maintained a smart farm as the founder for my high school's (sixth form's) Farming Society.

As Vice President, I would like to host more Bot Soc events:

• Regular park & garden walks (Hyde Park, Kew Gardens, Nature Reserves), including joint walks with other societies
• More social events: pub quizzes, themed quiz nights, and mingling events that don’t require prior plant knowledge.
• DIY destress activities like pressed-flower bookmarks, mini terrarium sessions, and plant ID walks
• A grow-along challenge: we all start with the same easy plant, do monthly photo updates, and have fun categories for prizes like “most improved” or “best recovery.”

I’ve had experience leading similar societies as well as hosting society events and conferences before (including large, multi-part events), so I’m comfortable helping keep things consistent and well-run.

I hope to make Bot Soc feel more active, easy to join, and worth showing up to.