Pope Leo XIV’s Visit to Paris: ESSEC Student Quitterie Dugas Behind the Scenes

A student in ESSEC’s Grande École Program and president of the school’s chaplaincy, Quitterie Dugas helped organize Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Paris. The event involved 1,400 volunteers and was designed to accommodate up to 250,000 people. Coordinating with public authorities, managing unexpected situations, leading a student team and making decisions under pressure were all part of the experience. She reflects on an exceptional project that helped her develop her leadership skills and shape her professional goals.

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I was asked in June to help organize the route for Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Paris. The 2.5 kilometer route connected Boulevard du Montparnasse and Boulevard Saint Michel. I worked with a team of students from ESSEC and other schools and universities in Paris. Together, we helped design and implement the event plan in close coordination with the Paris Police Prefecture.

The logistical challenge was considerable. We had to coordinate 1,400 volunteers and prepare to accommodate up to 250,000 people. We also had to organize activities along the route and ensure that the event ran smoothly.

Our goal was to create a secure and efficient plan that could operate effectively on a very large scale. This required several months of preparation, constant coordination with many different stakeholders and a strong ability to adapt.

More than anxiety, it was initially a question of legitimacy. At 21, taking part in meetings with the Paris Police Prefecture on security issues of this scale was certainly impressive. I had to quickly find my place and understand the responsibility I had been given.

What helped me move forward was first the trust that had been placed in me. If you are given such a responsibility, it is because people believe you are capable of handling it. I was also able to rely on a strong leadership team and a rigorous working method.

As the meetings and discussions progressed, I understood that credibility is built through the quality of your work. You need to be prepared, know your subject, listen to your stakeholders and follow through on your commitments. This experience taught me that once you accept a responsibility, you also need to step into that role fully and make the decisions that come with it.

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It was the moment when the project moved from planning to reality. For several months, everything had been very abstract. We were ordering equipment without seeing the final result. We were preparing volunteer assignments for people we had not yet met. We were also managing many discussions remotely.

On the day of the event, seeing the entire operation come to life and meeting the people who had been mobilized on the ground was especially memorable. We could suddenly see the tangible results of several months of preparation.

What also stood out to me was the team’s ability to stay focused and effective despite the pressure and unexpected situations. It is then, you realize that the success of an event of this scale depends above all on teamwork.

This is probably the most significant experience I have had as a student so far. Coordinating around 30 students with very different backgrounds, during the summer and on a volunteer basis, exposed me to the realities of managing a team.

You discover your strengths and develop new skills through action, especially when unexpected situations arise. Being responsible for a project of this scale also pushes you to draw on resources you may not have known you had.

Above all, this experience taught me the importance of listening, adaptability and bringing a team together around a common goal. I also learned that being a leader does not mean doing everything yourself. You need to delegate, build trust, provide structure and give everyone the opportunity to contribute effectively.

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The past three months have been very intense, and I still need to take some perspective. I am now starting a debriefing process to analyze what I have learned and structure those lessons.

This experience will probably influence my course choices at ESSEC, my future internships and, more broadly, my thinking about my career plans. I discovered a strong interest in complex project management, team management and problem solving in environments where decisions need to be made on the fly.

I also discovered that I can take on significant responsibilities and work effectively in high pressure environments. This is something I will be able to draw on throughout the rest of my career.

I would encourage them to get involved in projects that genuinely interest them and reflect their personal convictions. Student life offers a unique opportunity to experiment, take on responsibilities and develop skills that cannot always be acquired in the classroom.

Do not be afraid to take on projects that may seem too ambitious at first. You learn a great deal by facing new situations, working with people from different backgrounds and finding practical solutions to unexpected challenges.

Student engagement also helps you better understand how you work. You learn how you react under pressure, how you work with a team, how you make decisions and how you support others.

For me, it is a very practical way to complement academic learning with hands on experience. Above all, students should make the most of these years to try new things, take on responsibilities and learn from every experience.

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