At 17, Guille Zaracho was working at the Mercado de San Lorenzo (San Lorenzo market, near Asunción) to earn enough money to pursue higher education. Less than a decade later, the 27-year-old Paraguayan is conducting doctoral research at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, investigating digital literacy across Paraguay and Latin America while presenting his work at international conferences.
His journey has taken him from teaching in vulnerable communities in Asunción to studying at the University of Oxford, advising education projects in Paraguay and publishing a book that encourages young people to believe in the opportunities education can create.
A scholarship that changed everything
Raised in Ñemby, part of the Greater Asunción metropolitan area, Zaracho initially hoped to study economics after finishing secondary school. Financial constraints, however, made university seem out of reach. At 17, he found work at the Mercado de San Lorenzo, earning around ₲350,000 (approximately US$57) a week.
“That salary gave me the chance to think about higher education, but private universities were still unaffordable,” Zaracho tells The Asunción Times. His path changed when he received a scholarship to study English with an emphasis on education at the Evangelical University of Paraguay (UEP). It was not a carefully planned decision. “I never thought about studying English. It was simply the course that seemed interesting.”
That unexpected choice would ultimately define his career.
Finding a calling in the classroom
During his second year at university, Zaracho began teaching in Bañado Norte, one of the most vulnerable communities in the Asunción area. The experience transformed his ambitions. “That is where I found my vocation in education. I felt fulfilled. This is where I want to teach.”
Working closely with students facing significant social and economic challenges showed him how education could change lives, not only for individual learners but for entire communities.
Oxford and the challenge of belonging
A Becal scholarship later enabled Guille Zaracho to complete a master’s degree at the University of Oxford, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions.
“Oxford is like my first love. Every day felt like living in a film,” he says. The reality behind the iconic buildings, however, was demanding. Students were expected to read between 15 and 20 academic papers every week. “It was the first time I said, ‘Now I really have to push myself to study.'”
Oxford’s traditions also left a lasting impression. “You have formal dinners where you wear black tie and a gown, meeting people who are leaders in their field. It is incredible.”
Like many international students, Zaracho also struggled with impostor syndrome, surrounded by classmates from elite academic backgrounds. Over time, he gained confidence, adapted to the demanding environment and graduated with strong academic results.
Bringing international experience back home
Instead of staying abroad after graduating, Zaracho returned to Paraguay, where he combined teaching with work on education policy and development projects. He collaborated with the Ministry of Education and the European Union on STEM initiatives, taught at UEP and the Polytechnic University Taiwan-Paraguay (UPTP), and worked as a consultant for Reeduca Paraguay, helping promote robotics and STEM education in schools.
In 2024, he published his first book, 1% – Uno por ciento: Cuando las probabilidades no determinan tu destino, later released in English as 1% One Percent: When Odds Do Not Determine Your Fate. The book opened another chapter in his career, leading to speaking engagements across Paraguay.
“I began travelling the country giving talks, encouraging students to keep believing in education because it opens many doors.”
While pleased to contribute to education in Paraguay, Zaracho says his experience also highlighted the need for greater recognition of teachers and researchers.
Researching Paraguay’s digital future
Now based at the University of Bath, Zaracho is researching digital literacy in Paraguay and across Latin America, work he hopes will contribute to improving education policy in the region.
“I have been here since September. Everything I am working on is to better understand Paraguay’s context in terms of digital literacy.” His research has already progressed faster than expected. “In the first term I finished a study and a paper well ahead of schedule. Thanks to that, I will be presenting my research in Europe.”
For Guille Zaracho, studying abroad has never been the final goal. Instead, he sees international research as a way to better understand Paraguay’s educational challenges. He hopes to contribute practical knowledge that benefits future generations.
His book, 1% One Percent: When Odds Do Not Determine Your Fate, is available internationally through Amazon. It is available in both print and e-book formats. In Paraguay, it can be be found at El Lector and Reflexión Libros y Regalos. Readers can also follow Guille Zaracho on Instagram.
