Marita is a graduate student in the Master of Development Practice (MDP) at the Balsillie School of International Affairs through the University of Waterloo. She recently obtained a Planning degree from the University of Waterloo with a Specialization in Land Development. Her academic background focuses on land use planning, environmental policy and the connection between the environment, development and communities, and how those can co-exist in a sustainable way.

Marita has gained professional experience in the planning sector, specifically during her time working for a real estate developer on the Acquisitions team. Throughout her work terms, she supported the acquisition process by performing various tasks including market research, due diligence, and complex site assessments. Those taught her to assess situations from various perspectives and understand that there are multiple factors that can influence the outcome.

She believes these skills can be transferred on a greater scale, such as global development, and hopes to use them to help address more complex development challenges.

Having immigrated to Canada from Eastern Europe after spending much of her childhood and early life there, Marita’s understanding of migration is also deeply personal. Growing up between different social and cultural environments has shaped the way she understands community, belonging, as well as the various opportunities and challenges that influence people’s lives.

Marita speaks Bulgarian, French and English, and values cross-cultural communication which has allowed her to learn from diverse perspectives. Through MDP, she hopes to further build on these experiences alongside her background in planning, contributing to more sustainable and inclusive development. Outside of the classroom, Marita enjoys dancing and teaching ballet, staying active and exploring new hobbies.