University of North Texas 
Delaney Marusak
Working Uphill:
Delaney Marusak’s Time in Itapúa, Paraguay (2025-2027)
As Delaney Marusak sits in a circle with her neighbors, sipping Tereré, a loose-leaf tea, she tries picking up every Guaraní word she understands. Her language skills are improving every day as she practices with people like her landlord’s cousin who lives just across the street.
Delaney and Lee stand with locals in front of an amazing view!
The kind, older man introduces her to people throughout the small town, and the more names she learns, and Guaraní she practices, the more confident she feels in her communication.
Delaney and her partner Lee are about a year into their service in Itapúa, Paraguay in the Environmental Sector.
“We matched on [a] dating app, and the prompt was: what’s something that you’ve always wanted to do,” Delaney recalls. “We both put down Peace Corps.”
Delaney grew up overseas with her parents who are both international teachers. As she completed her higher education in the U.S., Delaney sought out volunteer programs to help her return overseas.
Delaney worked as an academic advisor for the College of Applied and Collaborative Studies and earned her Master’s in Educational Psychology at UNT. After graduating, she found an opening in Paraguay where she could serve jointly with Lee, who is also a UNT alum. They both had a desire to break away from the 9-to-5 life, and they found that in the Peace Corps.
Delaney is able to serve with her partner, Lee, who is also a UNT alum.
When they arrived, Delaney discovered that, although she knew conversational Spanish from living in Texas, she struggled with the local native language, Guaraní. Some days she felt the need to vent about her ongoing struggle with communicating.
“That was a huge thing I had to internalize,” Delaney said. “This is something that’s going to be worked out with time, and you just have to be patient.”
During training, Delaney and Lee stayed with a host family: Carmen, her daughter, and her two nephews.
“The boys really got attached to Lee and they ended up hanging out with him,” Delaney said. “That ended up being really wonderful.”
Delaney took field trips for technical practicum to learn from current volunteers, practice teaching, and visit the site that they now live and work in.
While Lee primarily works in education, Delany’s job varies. She co-teaches with Lee but also collaborates with the municipality to create conservation learning opportunities and collaborate with a local forestry. Some days she’s visiting one of the six local schools and others she’s surveying a landfill.
Delaney works in the environment work sector, but also puts on fun activities for
local children.
“It kind of feels like Parks and Rec,” Delaney said, laughing. “It’s just like, ‘ok what are we going to do today?’”
The three pillars of the Environmental Sector are education, waste management, and tree planting.
“The fourth pillar, we say, is entertaining the locals,” Delaney joked.
Delaney meets people like the mayor and leaders in agricultural and environmental departments for her various projects. She has been able to network and be a part of conversations she never would have gotten to without the Peace Corps.
Delaney mentioned that she walks most places and gets to meet locals as part of her
daily commute.
When they’re not working in their sector jobs, Delaney and Lee play in a volleyball club and assist in Minga Ambiental, an environmental club for high school seniors. They have also taken over an English club together and Lee has recently started a band club.
As they become increasingly involved in the community, Delaney and Lee are beginning to find their groove.
“Everything was kind of clicking last week,” Delaney said. “Every day felt like a win.”
Their biggest event so far was presenting to two public schools for Earth Day. They taught the kids about things like organic versus inorganic material, decomposition, microplastics, and recycling.
They even gave the students a challenge to see which grade level could make the most “eco-bricks.” Delaney plans to use them to build benches or a tree fence at the school or park at the end of the year.
To get into town for all their daily work and projects, Delaney and Lee bought bikes. Each morning, they pedal up steep hills.
Peace Corps volunteers are provided a place to live in their village.
“We’ve really been getting into shape these past few weeks,” Delaney said, laughing.
Their legs grow stronger every day, in the same way they’re growing as volunteers. With every cobblestone or new challenge, Delaney is learning new ways to be a better volunteer in her community.
She encourages students to apply if they are considering the Peace Corps.
She advises, “Come in with an open mind and a goal of what you want to accomplish.”
Interested in learning more about Delaney's time in Peace Corps? You can reach out to her here.
Written and Edited by Eliana Fulton, B.A. Journalism Student at UNT
Interviewed by Zach Yeager, Peace Corps Prep Coordinator