Meet Christian Z.

Junior Project Officer

Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, Government of Canada

Summer 2019 (4 month term)

"Arts Work Experience gave me the incredible opportunity to work with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency) as a Junior Project Officer. Looking back, what is most striking is that I did not feel like a student at the Agency. Whether I was working on technical reviews of environmental impact statements, doing Indigenous consultation, or learning the intricacies of project management at the Federal level, I always felt like I was part of the team. This meant that there was a steep learning curve when I started my position, but the payoffs for that were unquantifiable. Throughout my term at the Agency, I had the opportunity to talk with Indigenous leaders from across the Prairies, to write an analysis report on a project for the Prairie and Northern Region, and to be a part of a team that won the Agency's President's Award. At the end of my term, I was able to continue to work with the Agency in a casual position.

I think that the biggest benefit from all of these experiences has been being able to apply the theoretical knowledge I've gained from my degree in the real world. Not only does this better prepare me for future jobs through the skills and professional development I recieved, but it also gave me a new perspective to consider as I returned to my studies. Having experience with consultation efforts first hand has been very enlightening in a degree program that focuses on the political intricacies of the relationship between the Canadian state and the Indigenous peoples on this land." 

Christian is in his 4th year of a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science with a certificate in Indigenous Governance and Partnership. Christian was an AWE student on a work term in 2019.