Jennifer Koorneef, MPP ’26, was selected as this year’s class valedictorian in recognition of her exceptional academic achievement in the program. On June 17, 2026 she delivered her valedictory address, printed in full here with her permission.
Good morning Executive Director of the Master of Public Policy program Dr. Graeme Stewart, Academic Director Dr. Clifton van der Linden, faculty, family, friends, and of course, my incredible fellow graduates.
It is a profound honour to stand before you, representing the Master of Public Policy class of 2026. Today we celebrate what was accomplished over the past year. We acknowledge the work, the learning, the tenacity, the growth, and the success of those graduating from both the Digital Society stream and the first ever cohort of Housing Policy stream students.
Congratulations!
We also celebrate the efforts and talents of our instructors and faculty and the impact they have had on us and our understanding of policy.
Thank you.
And finally, we celebrate the kindness, understanding, and help we all gratefully accepted from our loved ones who supported us over the last year. I speak on behalf of my peers when I say much love and many thanks to you all.
Upon considering my focus for this address, one theme continued to surface and despite aggressively trying to avoid it, I simply could not:
Group work.
I prepared myself for the sighs I would hear with the mere mention of those words. I understand. If you spent any time working with me over the last year, you know I understand, but stay with me because it leads to a positive message of hope and encouragement.
Group work cannot be avoided because public policy is group work. I remember a professor saying this, and I thought to myself, If that’s true, I should probably drop out now. My Type A friends in the crowd will relate to the sinking feeling that a mention of working…in a group…can evoke.
This program fundamentally changed my perspective on this.
A few weeks ago, I watched my nine year old participate in a 4 x 100 metre relay race. His team was made up of four runners who were tasked with passing and receiving the baton. The event stood out in track and field meet that was dominated by individual events. Rather than one athlete performing to prove their own ability, this relay was about working together, trusting each other, and picking up where the other left off. After spending a hot afternoon in the sun, this mom was on the sidelines with a tear in her eye. Because there is so much beauty in working together and that is especially apparent when everything seems focused on individual accomplishment.
In a world we are pressured to produce more, to attain more, to win more, to chase promotions, to have our names on journals, to earn awards, to stand out in the crowd. I’m here to say those aspirations are great if we don’t confuse individual accomplishment as the goal when it is actually a byproduct, and usually a fleeting one.
This work is so much bigger than you and I on our own.
Public policy is a group project. It is a team event. It is a rely race. It involves building community, breaking down silos, leveraging individual strengths and capabilities for the greater good, and being willing to grow and learn together. It is about reaching across the aisle, bridging divides, having humility and an openness to correction. It’s about vulnerability.
The goal of this program, and our work in housing and digital policy spaces is to make the world a place where everyone has the opportunity to flourish. We cannot do that alone. Public policy is a group project, and thank goodness for that. Because the task at hand is not any easy one. Working toward equity, course correcting the paths that were pursued but not effective, and considering the winners and losers of any given policy direction takes many minds, and certainly many hearts.
This past year has been challenging. The coursework was rigorous. Through it all, my greatest surprise was the joy I felt being able to learn from each of you. I won’t remember the awards. I will remember my peers and my professors. I will remember the encouragement, the diverse perspectives that pushed me to think beyond my own perspective, and the overwhelming gratitude I felt to have had the opportunity to widen my circle and welcome you all into it.
So let’s continue to embrace group work, for it is in these spaces where we will find empathy, joy, and the courage to push for equitable systemic change.
Celebrate your individual accomplishment here today because it is what has equipped you to confidentially roster for the teams of your future, whether as public servants, non profit leaders, or in the private sector.
So to close, I want to say you have made a lasting impression on me. You are incredibly gifted in unique ways. As we go our separate ways, I hope you remember that this work is about building teams, where you are, with coworkers, colleagues, and Canadians of all walks of life. Never lose your individual resolve to make the world a better place. Your teammates here are counting on you.
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