Student Profile: Ana Clara Gobbes Faria, Persuasive Writing Credential 2021

An accomplished writer and journalist, Ana Clara Gobbes Faria wants to impact the world by presenting public policy issues in a way that is accessible for a broad audience. “Writing has always been an essential part of my personal and professional journey. A writer really achieves their mission when they connect people and persuade them—that’s what I want to do with public policy.”

Ana took an interest in policy at a young age while growing up in Curitiba, Brazil. “At the time, Curitiba started to become a point of reference for anti-corruption policy. Money laundering schemes were being uncovered left and right, so the city was in the spotlight. I think being around all of this while it was happening made me start to take a greater interest in policy.”

Shortly before completing her bachelor’s in journalism at the Universidade Positivo, Ana began work as a web producer for Rede Paranaense de Comunicação, the largest media conglomerate in the Paraná region of Brazil. “It was a very different experience writing and producing web content. It helped shape my vision of journalism and content creation.” 

In 2018, Faria attended the 22nd session of the Youth Assembly in New York City and Washington D.C., hosted by the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. “It was an international youth conference that brought more than 2,000 young people from all around the world to discuss matters in sustainable development and international affairs. I was able to learn about the UN’s 2030 sustainability agenda and participate in group discussions about future strategies. These topics are important to think about for the next generations, and I was thankful to be given the chance to dive deeper into these policy questions.”

Looking to expand her writing capabilities, Faria completed Harris’ Persuasive Writing Credential (PWC) program in May of 2021. “I wanted to learn more about persuasive writing, especially in English. I also wanted to take a short course before starting a master’s program so that I could see what it might be like to take on a full degree. I thought the credential program could be something where I could feel the experience of being in a master’s program. Everything greatly exceeded my expectations.”

Faria said she felt well supported throughout the six-week program. “Even though I don’t explicitly have a background in public policy, I felt so well-guided that it didn’t even matter. Writing Program Director David Chrisinger often provided example texts so we could not only get a sense of the policy question but also of how to structure the specific type of writing piece we were working on.”

Prior to starting the PWC Faria completed a certification from the Universidade Positivo in international affairs and diplomacy in 2020. When asked about the cumulative effect of these two certificate programs on her academic and professional progress, Faria said, “They have shaped my professional purpose. And the PWC specifically gave me greater confidence in my ability to handle a graduate program. I feel able to explore unknown policy topics now and present them in ways that will change people’s lives.” 

Faria has been admitted to the Committee on International Relations (CIR) at the University of Chicago and will begin pursuing her master’s in 2022.