At a time when public systems are under immense pressure to become more responsive, equitable, and sustainable, the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law is placing students at the heart of real-world transformation to support skill-building in real time alongside classroom learning. In a recent webinar titled “A Front Row Seat to Systems Change,” McGeorge highlighted its innovative Transformational Change Partnership (TCP). This one-of-a-kind initiative immerses students in the day-to-day work of policy and systems reform across California.
Moderated by Dr. Marcie Paolinelli, the conversation featured Jason Willis, Director of TCP and Clinical Professor of Public Policy, and Jasmin Asher, current MPP student and Assistant Program Manager for TCP. Together, they explored how TCP allows students and early-career professionals to engage directly with the practical challenges of reforming education, health, and justice systems. At the same time, it equips them with the leadership skills required to make lasting change.
Transforming Theory into Practice
The Transformational Change Partnership is embedded within McGeorge’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs. It offers a nine-month fellowship experience where students are paired with local county agencies to work on urgent, real-world problems. These projects can include redesigning service delivery models, improving internal processes, expanding access to behavioral health services, or reshaping youth justice systems.
Rather than learning in isolation, students are immediately immersed in environments where policy decisions have direct consequences for communities. Through structured partnerships, they join implementation teams comprising professionals from public agencies and nonprofit organizations, all working together on high-impact reform efforts.
The fellowship emphasizes four interconnected dimensions of learning. Students begin by developing a strong foundation of knowledge that includes systems thinking, policy design, and public management. From there, they grow their ability to apply these concepts to real-world challenges. Experience is gained by working within government systems on meaningful projects, and emotional intelligence is cultivated through reflective practice, empathy, and a deep commitment to the communities they serve.
This combination of intellectual rigor, practical application, and personal reflection allows students to build the competencies they need to lead complex public change efforts. Jason Willis explained that policy knowledge alone is not enough. Future public sector leaders must be able to collaborate across agencies, think systemically, and remain grounded through the emotional complexity that comes with driving reform.
Jasmin Asher: A Student Leader in Action
Jasmin Asher brought an insightful perspective to the discussion. Originally planning to pursue a law degree, she shifted her focus after discovering McGeorge’s commitment to practical policy education. What stood out to her was how the TCP allows students to apply academic concepts in real time and engage with local governments working on meaningful issues.
Through the TCP, Jasmin experienced firsthand how public systems function and how change is implemented, or sometimes hindered, within them. She has taken on a dual role as a student and as the program’s Assistant Manager, helping coordinate TCP projects while continuing her education.
She described the program as a learning environment where students gain more than academic insight. They also learn how to think strategically, build trust with stakeholders, and adapt in response to evolving challenges. According to Jasmin, the TCP has been instrumental in helping her develop confidence, clarity, and a commitment to pursuing a career in public service. You can read her full student testimonial here.
Capstone Projects: Turning Learning into Leadership
A central component of TCP is the capstone project, which gives students the chance to apply everything they have learned in a high-stakes environment. These projects are not hypothetical case studies. They are real assignments with public clients, community implications, and measurable outcomes.
Students are assigned to small teams and matched with a county department. Their task is to assess existing systems, identify barriers to effective service, and offer concrete recommendations for improvement. In one project, students collaborated with a behavioral health department to streamline its billing process. These projects give students the opportunity to engage directly with county officials, nonprofit leaders, and community members. Faculty mentors provide guidance, but students are responsible for the work. This ownership builds the professional confidence and problem-solving skills that students will need in their careers.
Faculty Expertise and a Philosophy of Continuous Learning
The TCP is led by a team of faculty with deep experience in public service and systems change. These educators bring decades of work from school districts, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. Their professional background ensures that students are learning from those who have faced the same implementation challenges and understand the realities of public systems.
Equally important is the teaching philosophy shared by the program. Rather than viewing education as a rigid transfer of information, instructors treat course content as adaptable and open to feedback. Course materials and assignments evolve, often based on student contributions or changing conditions in the public sector. Students are encouraged to see learning as a collaborative process, where their voices and experiences matter. This flexible, responsive model reflects the way real systems must operate and prepares students to be agile and reflective leaders.
Mastering Tools for Systemic Change
Throughout their time in the TCP, students are introduced to a wide range of tools and methods used in the field of systemic change. One foundational skill is systems mapping, which teaches students how to visualize and analyze how various parts of a public system interact. These maps help identify where breakdowns occur and where opportunities for improvement exist.
Another key area of development is community engagement. Students are taught not only how to gather feedback through surveys or focus groups, but also how to engage in deeper collaboration. In advanced forms like co-production, students learn to work alongside community members in shared decision-making processes. Understanding the full range of engagement strategies and knowing when to use them is a crucial leadership skill.
Cross-agency collaboration is also emphasized. Students are exposed to the challenges of working across silos and are trained to build the emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills necessary for sustained cooperation. These competencies are essential in areas like criminal justice reform, where progress depends on alignment among law enforcement, behavioral health agencies, courts, and service providers.
A Pathway to Professional Impact
For many students, TCP becomes more than just an academic program. It is a launchpad into a meaningful public service career. The experience they gain through the fellowship, along with the relationships they build, often leads directly to professional opportunities in county government, nonprofit leadership, and consulting.
Jasmin Asher’s trajectory is one example of this potential. What began as a graduate school decision has turned into a leadership role within the very program that shaped her learning. Her story illustrates how deeply integrated the TCP is with real-world systems and how it can serve as a powerful career pipeline.