Photo credit: Christy Lorenz
By Christy Lorenz, MIPP
Working as a Programme Assistant in Resilience and Climate Change (RCC) for UNDP Pacific has been the culmination of many years of study and sacrifice, working hard to achieve good grades, to get into a good school with a good scholarship, to get better grades, to get into a better school with a better scholarship… et cetera. I was comfortable as a student and relatively proficient in it; I liked receiving a syllabus at the beginning of the semester and knowing exactly what was expected of me, as well as the key milestones I had to meet to reach my goal. I enjoyed policy research and procrastination and thinking about big ideas and then discussing them, rereading glowing feedback on old essays, and occasionally (okay, frequently) sucking up to my professors.
This opportunity with the United Nations was the perfect next step in my career, pushing me beyond my comfort zone. Gone are the days of clear expectations and carefully pre-planned tasks! The neat predictability of academic life has been replaced with the organized chaos of project management—drafting, redrafting, rethinking deliverables, and learning to prioritize progress over perfection. Assignments don’t always come with rubrics, and tasks have a sneaky way of resurfacing just when you think they’re over.
Working with the RCC team is a marked difference from my MIPP degree, and lightyears away from undergrad—although both experiences gave me a solid foundation for the work I’m doing now. The long nights analyzing policy frameworks or presenting under pressure weren’t just academic rites of passage—they taught me to stay focused, flexible, and thoughtful in the face of real-world problems. Translating policy knowledge into programmatic action has, therefore, felt surprisingly natural, and in many ways it’s been the perfect continuation of what I learned as a MIPP student. I shudder to think about how ill-prepared I would have been for this role if I hadn’t paid attention during lectures or completed my course readings (take this as a warning, kids! Don’t skip your readings!).
And just like I was fortunate to have a great network at the Balsillie School, I’ve been equally lucky here. Before arriving, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the team. What I found was better than I could have imagined: a group of people who are not only deeply skilled but generous with their time, knowledge, and resources. No matter how many questions I throw at them (and there are many), they respond with patience, humour, and good grace. You often hear that the day-to-day grind can wear people down, especially in the international development space—that eventually, even the most optimistic lose some of their spark. But here, it’s the opposite. My colleagues truly believe in what they’re doing. It shows in every meeting, every project, every casual chat over lunch. It’s hard not to feel inspired when you’re surrounded by people who care this much—not just about results, but about the communities we serve.
One person who’s made a huge impact on my time here is Isti—a name you might recognize from his own dispatches from the field! Just a few years ago, he was in the exact position that I’m in now: starting as an unpaid intern after completing his Master of International Public Policy degree. Today, he’s managing major and meaningful projects across the Pacific. He still somehow finds time to lend a hand, or an ear, and, occasionally, medical-grade aloe to unsuspecting Canadians who underestimate the Fijian sun.
It’s been fun reminiscing about our time at the Balsillie School, and I feel fortunate to have received not only support as a student but ongoing encouragement even now, halfway across the world. The Balsillie community really is something special. If you’re ever thinking about reaching out—whether it’s for advice, questions, or just to swap stories—don’t hesitate. I’m a big believer in paying it forward.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the BSIA, its students, faculty, staff, or Board of Directors.