Student Profile: Stefano Bruzzo, MPP Class of 2023

Since he was a child, Stefano Bruzzo has understood the importance of using his opportunities and skills to help people overcome difficulties they face. “From an early age, I learned that by using your skills and intellect you can do things that help other people. I didn’t have many issues getting a good education or having enough resources to succeed, but I also saw that other people had it way tougher.”
 
This commitment and passion informed Bruzzo’s desire to use data to solve social issues—which eventually led him to study economics at the University of Chile. “At my school, you had to choose between business and economics in your second year. I chose economics because I didn’t want to become a businessman or a manager at a company. I wanted to do research and impactful work in the public sector.” However, it wasn’t until his third year in his undergraduate career that he was exposed first-hand to the role that research could play in crafting better policy.
 
“In the third year of my bachelor’s, I met a more experienced economist who invited me to do some research with her. When I joined her research team, I noticed everyone involved was fully committed to research or policy design in order to solve people’s issues,” Bruzzo recalled. This experience opened his eyes to just how aligned his interests and skills were to public policy research.
 
After college, Bruzzo dove headfirst into the public sector, first as a research fellow at the Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo in Santiago. He then moved on to government roles, serving first as an advisor in the Immigrations Department, which is part of the Ministry of Interior and later in the Ministry of Social Development and Family, where he advised the Minister on the design and communication of financial aid programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Over the course of his career, though, Bruzzo came to realize that his next steps needed to involve graduate school. He was initially drawn to the University of Chicago due to several economists and policymakers he met during his early career who studied in UChicago. “Even though my path has been influenced by economists, I wasn't looking for a PhD in economics, but a more focused way to influence political discussions and policy design.”
 
The UChicago Harris Master of Public Policy, therefore, turned out to be exactly what he was looking for.
 
“When I saw ‘using data to make an impact,’ on the Harris website, I felt as if I could’ve written those words. For me, that’s what public policy is all about—the relevant use of data to solve social issues.”
 
While drawn to Harris for its data-driven policymaking, Bruzzo also realized that the other schools he was considering were more geared to politics—“and I was seeking a focus on policy itself, which was unique to Harris. My desire to use my skills in the service of something greater aligned with Harris’ goal of making impactful changes in the United States and in countries around the world.”
 
After graduating from Harris, Bruzzo plans to focus on conducting breakthrough research or service in government that will utilize his knowledge, skills, and experiences to improve policies  for the lower- and mid-income population throughout Chile. In the long term, he aims to take an influential role in the public sector where he can focus his endeavors on helping overcome poverty and inequality. “I want to come back to my country with a broader set of skills and experience so I can do things I couldn’t have done without that experience at Harris.”
 
When asked if he had any advice for potential applicants to Harris, Bruzzo said, “Be as honest as possible about who you are and how your life experience relates to Harris. Be fully aware of how Harris can help you get to where you want to be and how you can contribute to the Harris community.”