Janessa Bowekaty-Harker shares that she is a proud mother and wife, with great respect and admiration for the Zuni community and culture. Her clans are Dakkya’kwe (Frog) deyan Yadokky’kwe awan cha’le (child of Sun). Janessa received her bachelor’s degree in Native American Studies with a concentration in Learning Indigenous Communities and a minor in English (2023) and master’s degree in Native American Studies (2025), both from the University of New Mexico. Janessa first worked with ZYEP in 2016 up to 2019 as a camp counselor, assistant flag football coach, and nutrition education intern. The opportunity to be the Youth Development Coordinator is a full circle moment for Janessa as her experiences are all a part of working towards her personal goal of supporting initiatives that center the community/youth’s health and wellness through positive experiences as a pivotal part of sustaining the Zuni community. It is also a part of another goal to actively work in and build upon community resources for current and future generations to enjoy and be a part of. Janessa is excited to see everyone out in the community and be a part of the ZYEP way!