Speech Review

Service work with the Peace Corps can offer significant levels of understanding and appreciation for both the community and volunteers. Ava-Rae Resnik told students in her speech at the University of Colorado, Boulder on Feb. 24.

While a volunteer as an educator for a middle and high school in Paraguay her contributions benefitted her as well. “We were all learning from each other,” Resnik said.

The University of Colorado’s Peace Corps office hosted the speech to provide a platform for Resnik to present her experience. She helped further American’s understanding of Paraguayan people. 

In Paraguay she focused her work on teaching English and environmental education to the students and community. Additionally, she organized community clean up projects for the Peace Corps volunteers and residents to take part in. 

By improving the community's needs she was completing one of the mission objectives of the Peace Corps. “Promote a better understanding of Americans within Paraguay,” she said. 

However, the volunteer work additionally has an equal impact on those doing the service. “You overall enjoy it,” she said. 

“You’re working all the time” she said in an attempt to highlight how consuming the work with the Peace Corps is. 

Resnik wore earrings made by locals from Paraguay to the meeting to show the connection she had made with the people she worked with. And brought tereré to share some of traditional flavors from Paraguay with the audience for a more immersive speech.

Additionally, she spoke about the transition period when returning to the U.S., specifically comparing grocery shopping in Paraguay and Colorado. “This is crazy. There’s so many options because what I had in my local community were stores set up in people’s houses,” she said.

One of the many lessons she learned while abroad was about the different pace of life while living in a rural community. “There would be days I would sit under a mango tree for, like, six hours drinking dele,” she said. 

Eventually she adjusted to the new rate of time, and enjoyed the pace of life and time she added.

Wyatt Tyler, a sophomore business major from Denver, attended the presentation. “After college I am interested in serving others while exploring the world,” he said. “Working with the Peace Corps seems like a great balance, where I can help others and enjoy my work.”

Source Contact List

Ava-Rae Resnik: 1(310)-383-7315

Wyatt Tyler: wyty9829@colorado.edu