Picture left to right: Claire Booqua, Delaney Melikan & DeVon Bowekaty
As summer winds down, the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is celebrating the completion of several signature programs — including our Emerging Artist Apprenticeship in painting and graphic arts, mini-basketball and T-ball leagues for our youngest athletes, and our 17th Annual Summer Camp.
Among those who made this summer a success were three dedicated interns who brought energy, curiosity and heart to their work: Claire Booqua, 16; DeVon Bowekaty, 23; and Delaney “Laney” Melikan, 18.
Meet the Interns
Claire works with our ZYEP food sovereignty team. Her internship, made possible with support from the Zuni Education & Career Development Center (ZECDC), runs from June 9 to Aug. 1.
Born and raised in Zuni, Claire currently attends Santa Fe Indian School. As a child, she says she had the opportunity to participate in Summer Camp — then held at the old Twin Buttes High School — and play in ZYEP’s soccer and basketball leagues.
“I found out about the food sovereignty internship from a flyer,” Claire remembers. “My mom told me about it and pestered me.” With a grin, she added, “You know how moms are.”
Claire felt the internship aligned with her interests from the start. This summer, she has enjoyed the various activities, from gardening to cooking healthy, plant-based recipes.
DeVon lived in Zuni from third grade onward, graduating from Zuni High School in 2021. His art internship, also made possible with support from ZECDC, runs from June 9 to Aug. 19.
“I saw the internship opportunity on a flyer and social media,” he says. “This is my very first time working with ZYEP. I’m an artist myself, so it’s fun to teach traditional arts to youth.”
Laney, a 2025 graduate of Ramah High School in nearby Ramah, New Mexico, came across ZYEP’s internship opportunity on Facebook. Supported by ZYEP, Newman’s Own Foundation and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), her food sovereignty internship started June 2 and ended July 25.
“I wanted something to do after high school,” Laney explains. “My internship focused on nutrition and the greenhouse, and it was really fun.”
Jumping into Summer Camp
While interns assist with many ZYEP initiatives, Summer Camp takes center stage in the summer months. It is ZYEP’s longest-running and most diverse program, serving 120 Zuni children ages 7-12 for four full weeks, and it requires tremendous support from every level.
“Summer Camp is very chaotic, but the kids are so easy to be around,” Laney says. “Thankfully I’d worked with elementary school kids before. When I was a junior in high school, I was part of Big Brothers Big Sisters.”
DeVon and Claire say they also had experience with younger children. For his part, DeVon says he did quite a bit of babysitting during his growing-up years.
“I was always told I was a kid person,” he says, smiling. “Kids are great. They have no filter!”
“My mom is a librarian, so I would volunteer at the library,” Claire says of her experience. “I helped supervise games, I played with the kids, I read to them, and we did arts and crafts.”
Lessons Learned
When asked about the most valuable lessons they learned during the internship, the young people are thoughtful. Laney says she appreciated the nutrition education she received, and Claire says gaining public-speaking experience was valuable to her.
“I would say public speaking as well,” DeVon says. “It also was important to get experience giving directions.”
“Leading activities can be challenging,” Laney adds. “You want them to listen, and you’ve got to be positive.”
“You have to make them want to be engaged,” DeVon agreed.
After this summer at ZYEP, do they have any words of wisdom for their peers in the Pueblo of Zuni who might be considering an internship for themselves? You bet they do.
“I didn’t think I would like it at first, so I would tell them to be open minded,” Claire says.
“It can be nerve-wracking, but you’ll get to meet a lot of people and learn a lot,” DeVon says. “It’s such a good experience. I’m really glad I did it.”
“Just try it,” Laney says. “You’ll get opportunities you might not have otherwise.”
Looking Ahead
This fall, Laney is planning to attend the University of New Mexico to study early childhood education. She would like to become a teacher.
DeVon hopes to become a wildland firefighter. He plans to pursue fire science at Central New Mexico Community College.
Claire says she was interested in architecture and carpentry at first. Now, she would like to explore different career paths in archaeology/anthropology and healthcare.
Each intern expressed gratitude for their time with ZYEP, not just for the opportunity it gave them, but for its broader impact on Zuni youth in the community.
“It’s such a great resource for our youth,” DeVon explains. “It’s a stepping stone for their future.”
“ZYEP helped me build connections,” Claire added. “It made me want to go out more and try new things.”
“It’s a great opportunity for kids, and the staff are so welcoming,” Laney says.
“Everyone is positive and happy,” DeVon agrees. “ZYEP is a wonderful place to be.”