What being co-president with my best friend taught me – peer leadership at its best

Leadership is often seen as solitary or isolating; for me, running Liverpool Jewish Society alongside my co-president and best friend, Eva Myers, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my university life.

When I came to Liverpool, leaving the comfy Jewish bubble of Finchley, I was aware of a few other Jewish students going to the same place as me. One of those was Eva.

We chatted at fresher’s events, went out a few times, sat next to each other at chaplaincy dinners. But it was the idea that there could be two presidents instead of one that really brought us close together. The idea that leadership didn’t have to be alone, we could prop each other up, and give each other a helping hand, was what became such a foundation in our relationship.

Eva and I quickly realised that we really wanted to take on the role as JSoc president together. We saw the challenges in running the society, navigating the competing pressures of the political climate, community expectations, and the sheer volume of work. Finding a way through the nuances, admin and relationship building needed was a daunting task. Stepping up to lead this sort of an environment with Eva by my side alleviated the pressure and unlocked our creative thinking.

We learnt how our strengths complemented one another: whether it was public speaking, organising donors, going to meetings, going to parliament with UJS, speaking to the university, and so much more, we were able to find a balance.

Having two brains instead of one, and a support system and critic is something that both Eva and I needed this year and what really helped us to grow and build our JSoc, leading to our win as JSoc of the year.

Throughout the summer and from the beginning of this academic year, we spoke daily, in conversation with each other and our sabbatical officer Tamzin to dream big. Not many JSocs have co-presidents, as finding a pair of students with a balance of skills and interests is difficult. There have, of course, been challenges throughout; balancing our social lives, degrees and this unique role has not always been easy. But the fact that we were able to have open conversations with one another, and help each other with our strengths and weaknesses, was something that really made our leadership so special.

Leading your peers and leading with a peer has been a learning curve, as we learnt more about leadership and ourselves. It also taught us what it means to live out some of our Jewish values, in this case Hitchazkut, bringing each other up. I will carry into my future as both an academic and as a Jewish leader. I developed confidence in myself and trust in someone else, and a stronger capacity for empathy than I’d ever had before.

I’ve been able to carry my strong Jewish pride and passion for what I do through university, and being co-president with Eva is has solidified that. We have not just led our JSoc, we have led each other, as best friends, colleagues, and mentors for each other. We proved that leadership far from being lonely, can be better as a pair, that students have so much to learn not just from our academics but from each other.

• Kezzy Miller is the Liverpool JSoc President; Liverpool JSoc won JSoc of the year at the UJS Awards 2026. She is a UJS Leadership Fellow 2025/6.