Empowering Policy Leadership

Financial aid was a gamechanger for Marcelo Fernandes Bernardino MPP 2026. “My four grandparents were illiterate, and my parents had to work in a rural area during their childhood. However, they became the first in the family to finish elementary school and high school, and also attend college.” 

Marcelo wants to ensure that stories like his parents’ become the norm in his native Brazil rather than the exception. “They are an example of social mobility through education that inspires me to work towards better public policies.” 

After studying law and finance at a tuition-free university in Brazil and global competitiveness at Georgetown University, Marcelo worked on public-private partnerships for the São Paulo state government to improve parks, the subway, and airports. He then turned to the education sector, joining an NGO that helped public schools in Brazil implement good management; later, he led a team of educators at a startup that aimed to increase skilled labor in the tech industry. He says, “Students learned to code for free and only start paying for the classes when they get a good job.” 

Marcelo learned about HKS from alumni who, he says, “were doing outstanding public policy projects in Brazil and Latin America. They frequently mentioned HKS as an essential step for their career, as an environment of inspiration, reflection, and networking.”  

He applied and was accepted–and financial aid made his journey to HKS possible. “Without financial support, I wouldn’t have been able to enroll and would likely have attended another university that offered me a scholarship. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity; it has made my dream of studying at Harvard a reality.” 

Marcelo says HKS is helping him to hone his analytical, leadership, and negotiation skills. It is also opening doors for new opportunities.” Coming from a family with limited professional networks has made career growth challenging, as referrals often play a decisive role in opening doors. However, with Harvard’s support, many of these barriers have been overcome.”