HWS News
18 September 2026 Rooted in Conservation
Peace Corps service in Paraguay deepens Julia Cianflone ’24’s commitment to environmental preservation.
When Julia Cianflone ’24 left HWS for Paraguay in September 2024, she hoped her Peace Corps service would connect her academic interests in architecture, conservation and the environment with meaningful work in a new community. Nearly two years later, that connection has taken root — quite literally.
As a Community Environmental Promoter, Cianflone lives and works in a small town in southern Paraguay, where her service has included environmental education, recycling initiatives, English instruction and reforestation projects. Among her proudest accomplishments is helping plant approximately 500 trees in a waterfall nature preserve, working alongside her local municipality and Paraguay’s National Forest Institute.
“Planting trees at the waterfall preserve was significant for reforestation efforts as well as community engagement and interest,” says Cianflone, whose service is scheduled to conclude in December. “These projects and growth are beneficial in assisting ecotourism.”
The work has also helped clarify what she hopes to do next. In her final months with the Peace Corps, she will be working at a science museum. Cianflone then plans to pursue a master’s degree in historic preservation, with an interest in programs in cities across the United States and internationally.
“If anything, my service has only strengthened my desire to work in conservation,” she says.
Cianflone’s path to Paraguay began at HWS, where she earned a B.A. in architectural studies and developed interests in design, sustainability and preservation. She studied abroad in Rome, interned at SKM Design in West Hartford, Conn., and was involved in Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Program and the Real Estate and Design Initiative.
She says, her Peace Corps service has allowed her to put those interests into practice while working alongside teachers, students, farmers, elected officials and community organizations on tree planting and recycling projects.
“I’ve always had a deep love of nature,” she says. “Having the opportunity to support reforestation with the organizations here in Paraguay only furthered my interest.”
She hopes community members will continue working with local organizations to plant native species, strengthening reforestation efforts and supporting ecotourism.
“Their presence will represent the strength of community and promise of progress,” she says.
Cianflone credits HWS with helping prepare her for the experience. “My time at Hobart and William Smith provided an amazing base in terms of cultural intrigue and understanding,” she says. “HWS has provided a beautiful community that supported my interest in the Peace Corps and continues to support me today.”
