Erin Berthon, MA Career Manager, Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, at Chapman University

I had the chance to sit down with Christine Lathrop, a Chapman alumna who has turned her passion for global justice into a meaningful career in humanitarian assistance. A 2017 graduate with a double major in Political Science and Peace Studies, Lathrop is now a Senior Program Officer at Project HOPE, where she works on emergency response efforts around the world. From supporting communities in the aftermath of natural disasters to coordinating global health programs, her work is rooted in compassion, strategy, and resilience. In our conversation, Lathrop shared how her Chapman experience shaped her path, her experiences working in high-pressure crisis zones, and the advice she has for students hoping to make a difference on a global scale.

Erin Berthon: What first drew you to the field of humanitarian assistance and conflict resolution? Was there a pivotal moment or experience at Chapman or beyond that inspired you?

Christine Lathrop: While in Chapman’s Peace and Justice Studies program, I focused on the impact of conflicts and took to heart the experience an individual endures as their life is upended by war. At the time, the Syrian Civil War was going on, and so many Syrian refugees were fleeing for their lives in the aftermath. The atrocities of the conflict and the desperation of those trying to flee inspired me to spend my career doing something that would have a direct impact on people during the hardest period of their lives.

EB: As a Senior Program Officer at Project HOPE, you’re involved in both emergency response deployments and HQ strategy. What does a typical day look like for you in this hybrid role?

CL: As a member of the Emergency Response Team, my job is to support our response efforts, focusing on the health needs of the affected population following an environmental disaster or conflict. This work includes deploying to the disaster/conflict area to assess needs, designing programs, and working with local authorities and/or partners to implement those projects.

When I’m not in the field, I’m based in Washington, D.C., remotely monitoring our programs and their spending, and reporting it to donors. So my day-to-day varies significantly depending on whether I’m deployed or managing things from HQ.

EB: How do you maintain resilience and effectiveness when working in high-stress, crisis-impacted environments like Israel or Morocco?

CL: I purposefully do small things to maintain some routine in my life when traveling for weeks on end. This ranges from listening to a relaxing playlist and exercising to packing up odds and ends from home. On one occasion, I even packed a candle so I could work in a more relaxed environment at night. Those small personal rituals can help ground you.

EB: You’ve had to coordinate across departments like finance, development, and legal. What advice would you give to students who want to develop cross-functional collaboration skills in humanitarian work?

CL: I’ve found that you can develop these cross-functional skills in any role because they are essential in most jobs. For instance, being able to understand the priorities and objectives of other teams within your organization is critical to effectively driving forward programs. Regardless of your career path, developing an understanding of how each department operates will help you at some point and will likely make you stand out.

EB: Why did you choose to pursue a Certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies alongside your master’s, and how has that informed your approach to emergency response?

CL: My Chapman experience gave me the foundation to understand the larger international multilateral space, the role of NGOs in conflict-affected areas, and an introduction to humanitarian law—all of which were critical to my master’s program. At Georgetown, I chose the certificate to gain as much industry-specific knowledge as possible from lifelong practitioners.

The humanitarian field has developed so much in the last 25 years, so I thought understanding the history and trends was critical to avoid designing outdated programs. It also gave me a chance to study responses from both academic and ethical standpoints.

EB: You’ve taken specialized coursework in Monitoring and Evaluation. How do you measure the impact of your emergency response programs, especially in fast-moving crises?

CL: It can be challenging to measure program impact because you’re trying to balance multiple priorities at once: assess what resources are needed; figure out how to get supplies in; develop new partner relationships; get official approvals—among other things.

Because our “toolbox” as a global health organization is fairly narrow, we’ve developed a handbook of indicators that we track based on each activity we implement. For baseline numbers, we use our assessment data or public datasets shared by Ministries of Health or UN agencies.

EB: For students considering a career in global humanitarian work, what’s one thing you wish someone had told you early on?

CL: It’s an exhausting career with oftentimes little to no thanks. While it can be exciting to travel and work against the clock, there’s always a new crisis. Burnout is a real challenge. Many employers are starting to recognize this and try to help prevent it, but it’s tough. You’re emotionally invested in devastating events, often working long hours, moving from country to country for each contract, and having personal plans upended with little notice.

EB: What are some emerging trends or challenges in humanitarian assistance that you believe the next generation of leaders should be aware of?

CL: The field is undergoing one of its biggest changes in decades. The elimination of USAID grants and a decrease in humanitarian funding from Western countries are drawing down available resources. Meanwhile, conflicts are becoming more protracted, environmental disasters are more frequent, and more people than ever need assistance. The next generation will need to be advocates as much as they are implementers, ensuring that governments understand why humanitarian funding must remain a priority.

EB: Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and experience. Any last words for future changemakers?

CL: Don’t let the daunting scale of global crises keep you from jumping in. Whether you’re helping from HQ or on the ground, every role matters. It’s not glamorous, but it is meaningful—and if you’re in it for the right reasons, it’s a powerful career path.