For some young people, the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is a place to spend the summer, play sports or explore new interests. For others, it also becomes a place where those precious childhood experiences inspire them to return and guide the next generation.
That has certainly been true for Shaun Lementino, 17. As a rising senior at Zuni High School, he’s already spent a decade with ZYEP, first as a Summer Camp participant and flag football player, and now as a Summer Camp counselor. Looking back, he says his journey began long before his first day with ZYEP as a young camper.
“My older brother was my biggest inspiration to get involved,” Shaun says. “He started with Summer Camp. I saw what he was doing and wanted to do it too.”
Shaun got his chance in 2016, when he was 7 years old. While his memories are admittedly a bit fuzzy, one in particular has stayed with him for a decade.
At the end of the season, campers gathered for a meal. The counselors quietly slipped away, and when the children finished eating, they were told to go outside.
“There was this huge water fight,” Shaun says with a laugh. “It was so much fun. That really stuck with me, and I decided I wanted to create that kind of fun and those kinds of memories for other kids.”
Once his brother turned 16 and became a counselor, Shaun says he would get up early each morning so they could ride to camp together. He continued participating in Summer Camp, and in ZYEP’s flag football league, until he aged out of both programs.
Fortunately, football remained part of his life. He earned a spot on the Zuni High School varsity team while still in eighth grade, and this fall, he’ll begin his fifth varsity season with the Thunderbirds.
“I’m a lineman,” he says. “I play offensive right guard and defensive edge. And I’m really excited for senior year!”
His high school years also brought him full circle. Encouraged by family and friends, including former ZYEP Youth Development Coordinator Kiara “Kiki” Zunie, Shaun applied for a Summer Camp counselor position as soon as he turned 16.
“I was really nervous, but we had a great group of counselors,” he remembers of his first counselor experience in 2025. “No one was ever left out. It was a safe space.”
By the end of the summer, he understood why experienced counselors had warned him that the last day of camp would be emotional. He knew he would see everyone around the community, which is small and tightly knit; he just didn’t realize how attached he would become.
“I was really red-eyed on the last day, hugging everyone,” he says. “We had such a strong bond. It meant a lot to see how much the kids grew, especially the ones who maybe had a harder time at the beginning.”
This year’s Summer Camp was his second as a counselor, and he reports that traditional dancing is now his favorite camp activity. That wasn’t always the case.
“When I was younger, I didn’t like it as much,” he says. “But a couple of years ago, I was initiated into our religion, and I’ve learned so much. I understand a lot more, and I love teaching the younger kids.”
Shaun says the emphasis on culture is one of the things he values most about ZYEP, noting that he enjoys attending Delapna:we Project performances during the winter storytelling season.
“I’m really glad ZYEP incorporates so much culture into their programs,” he says. “The youth need that. They need to learn why it’s important.”
With another successful summer behind him and football practices gearing up, Shaun is focused on his final year of high school. He’s looking forward to playing football and participating in his third year of the Jobs for America’s Graduates program, which has helped him build skills in financial literacy, public speaking and career readiness.
It has given him opportunities to compete in statewide events as well. He notes that if you win first place in a JAG competition, you can go to nationals. So far, he’s won second-place state awards in Albuquerque twice, and he’s eager to try again.
Outside school hours, he enjoys working out, spending extra time in the gym and on the football field. And when he’s not doing that, or hanging out with friends, he is building a detailed road map for his future.
“I want to go to Occidental College in Los Angeles,” he says. “They have a five-year program that would allow me to earn a degree in photography in three years and then, over an extra two years, a degree in software engineering through a partner school like Cal Tech.”
Ultimately, he’d like to work in software development, and he dreams of planning a big road trip to visit every national park in the United States.
Reflecting on his years with ZYEP, Shaun says the organization has definitely helped shape the person he is today.
“It’s hard for me to see the changes, but other people tell me how much I’ve changed,” he says with a grin. “ZYEP gave me a voice. It gave me confidence in myself.
“I learned so much about leadership too,” he continues. “Oh my gosh, I’ve never been in charge of so many little kids in my life! No matter how much training you get, they can be unpredictable.”
Today, Shaun encourages other young people to get involved, especially if they aren’t sure what they’re interested in — or what type of work they might want to do after high school.
“This was my first job,” he says. “It was a great starting point, because everyone at ZYEP is so nice and supportive. And even when your job is done, they stay in touch and can help.”
In a small, rural community where opportunities can be limited, Shaun believes that support makes all the difference.
“Older people say they wish they had something like this when they were young,” he says. “ZYEP is a great resource. They teach resilience and a strong work ethic, and they give young people a place to find themselves.”