Student Staff

NACC Student Staff work at the Center during open hours (4:00pm-10:00pm, Sunday through Firday) and assist with publicity, planning and coordinating events, and maintaining the NACC facilities.

Graduate Affiliate

Kayla Cabrera

School: Yale School of Music 2023

Hometown: Crete, Illinois

Major: Music

Native Nation: Taíno

Kayla Cabrera (she/hers) is a first year masters student at the Yale School of Music, and she is excited to be a part of the NACC Student Staff team! When she isn’t practicing viola, Kayla can usually be found hiking, advocating for social and environmental justice, gaming, participating in cultural and educational events with her yukayeke (native community) Higuayagua, and snuggling with her Scottish Terrier named Maizy.

Yazmeen Wardman
School: Yale School of Public Health 2023
Hometown: Vancouver, Canada
Major: Social and Behavioural Sciences
Native Nation: Cree and Saulteaux

Yazmeen Wardman (she/hers) is a first year at the Yale School of Public Health in the Social and Behavioural Sciences Department, and she is excited to join the NACC team! Outside of the classroom, you can find Yazmeen exploring different coffee shops, watching Korean dramas and listening to podcasts.

K.N. McCleary
School: Yale Law School ‘24
Hometown: Crow Agency, MT
Native Nation: Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana

K (they/them) is Little Shell Ojibwe and grew up on the Crow Reservation in Montana. They are a 1L at Yale Law School and graduated from Yale College in 2018. As an undergrad, they served as President of the Native and Indigenous Student Association at Yale and as a NACC Peer Liaison. They also curated the first major exhibition of Indigenous North American art at the Yale University Art Gallery entitled Place, Nations, Generations, Beings: 200 Years of Indigenous North American Art. After graduating from Yale College, they served as Senator Jon Tester’s policy advisor on Native American issues in Washington, D.C. In their free time they can be found hiking, listening to country music, and learning about Indigenous art.

House Staff

		Sandra Amezcua Rocha Jonathan Edwards 23’ Hometown: El Monte, California Major: Environmental Studies Native Nation: P’urhépecha and Nahua Sandi (she/hers) is excited to work with the Indigenous community at Yale. She loves to cook her traditional food as well as try new recipes at the NACC and La Casa while teaching and sharing stories/music with others. When she’s not cooking or eating, she’s learning and thinking about the relationships between Indigenous food sovereignty and environmental health. At Yale, she’s part of several peer mentoring/teaching programs and ballet folklorico mexicano.
		McKenzie Denham Ezra Stiles College ‘23 Hometime: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Majors: African Studies and Political Science Native Nation: Cherokee Nation and Choctaw Nation McKenzie is a junior in Ezra Stiles College double majoring in African Studies and Political Science. Outside of House Staff, McKenzie is secretary of Association of Native Americans at Yale, a member of the Yale Cheerleading team, and groups around campus including YUPP, Women’s Leadership Initiative, and Yale Dems. In her free time she loves picnicking, reading YA, and watching unrealistic period pieces on Netflix!
		Truman Pipestem, He/Him Morse 24 Hometown: Skiatook, Oklahoma Major: Humanities Tribal Nation: Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Osage Nation, Otoe-Missouria Tribe Truman is a sophomore in Morse College from Skiatook, Oklahoma. He previously served as an NACC First-Year Liaison before joining House Staff. Within the Yale Native community, Truman is the president of Red Territory and an ANAAY bonding coordinator. Outside of the NACC, Truman is a member of the Lux Improvitas Improv Comedy Troupe. In his free time, Truman can be found unwinding in the NACC, participating in Morse IMs, or watching cartoons.
		Evan Farmer Benjamin Franklin ‘22 Hometown: Louisville, KY Major: American Studies & German Studies Native Nation: Shawnee My studies as an undergraduate at Yale concentrate on international cooperation and inequities within global markets through a trans-Atlantic double major of American & German Studies. As a MacMillan Center Language Fellow and Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar, I have had the privilege of studying abroad in Germany and Tanzania to improve foreign language skills, cultivate cross-cultural fluency, and conduct community service. I am additionally passionate about disability advocacy in the academic sphere as a Disability Peer Mentor for Student Accessibility Services and previously as an Exceptional Child Instructional Assistant in my hometown’s public school district while on leave of absence. In my downtime, I enjoy playing sports with friends, composing music, and long walks with my puppy.
		Nolan Arkansas Trumbull ‘22 Hometown: Elawodi (Cherokee, North Carolina) Major: American Studies Native Nation: Anikituwagi (Cherokee) Nolan has been a member of the NACC House Staff since 2018, this year managing the newsletter, social media accounts, and a number of community events and seminars. In addition to House Staff, he’s a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow in American Studies. On campus, he’s an active member of ANAAY and a founding member of Indigenous + Queer. He enjoys anything outdoors, but takes special interest in gardening Indigenous foods like corn, squash, gourds, and beans. Reach out to talk about the newsletter, NACC events, gardening, or to grab socially-distanced coffee.
		Jay Fife Davenport ‘22 Hometown: Beggs, Oklahoma, I.T. Major: American Studies Native Nation: Mvskoke, Chickasaw, and Apsaalooke (Crow) Jay Fife is a senior Mvskoke student from Beggs, Oklahoma. Jay is a Yale College Bouchet Fellow majoring in American Studies with a concreation in Politics and American Communities. As a Bouchet Fellow, Jay’s research examines how Christinaity altered and influenced the Mvskoke language while analyzing how Christianity continues to subvert language, sovereignty, and identity within the Mvskoke Nation. He grew up on the Mvskoke Reservation and comes from the Oce Vpofv Tribal town and Hotvlkvlke (Wind) Clan. At Yale, Jay works for Davenport College as a student aide and the NACC as a house staffer. You can find Jay at the Yale Divinity School, Davenport College, Commons, or any building on High Street!
		Hema Patel she/her/hers Saybrook ‘23 Hometown: Minneapolis, MN Major: History of Science, Health, and Medicine & Education Studies Certificate Native Nation: Turtle Mountain Ojibwe & Gujarati American Hema is a member of Yale’s hip-hop dance team (Rhythmic Blues), Vice President of the Association of Native Americans at Yale, and co-leads Yale CityStep, an organization that teaches dance to students in New Haven. She loves beading, face-timing her sisters, eating Hot Cheetos, and learning her cultural languages Hindi and Ojibwe.
		Catherine Webb Benjamin Franklin ‘22 Hometown: Newport Beach, California Major: Environmental Science and Art Native Nation: Cherokee Catherine Webb is a sophomore in Benjamin Franklin and is double majoring in Environmental Science and Art. She is the liaison between the NACC and the Yale Sustainable Food Project, and is very passionate about indigenous agriculture. Outside of her work with the NACC and YSFP, she competes on the Yale sailing team and is apart the Diversity and Inclusion division of the Student Athlete Advisory Council.

First Year Liaisons - 2021-2022

		Rebecca Sosa-Coba Pauli Murray ‘25 Hometown: Bloomfield, New Jersey Major: Neuroscience Native Nation: Kichwa tribe (Ecuador) Rebecca (she/her) is a prospective neuroscience major on the pre-med track, but she is also interested in Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Gender Studies. In her free time, Rebecca loves rewatching Avatar The Last Airbender, listening to music, and drawing / painting / meditating. You can find Rebecca in the kitchen baking popular deserts and cooking traditional Ecuadorian dishes!

		Madeline Gupta Morse College ’25 Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan Majors: Applied Math, Ethnicity Race and Migration Native Nation: Ojibwe Madeline (she/her) is a first year in Morse College. She is interested in studying data science and ethnicity, race, and migration. Outside of school, she likes to dance, paint, and play with her dog Miley. She is super excited to join the Indigenous community at Yale!
		Sunni Parisien, she/they Pauli Murray College ‘25 Hometown: Belcourt, North Dakota Majors: Ethnicity, Race, & Migration and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Native Nation: Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa (Anishinaabe) Sunni Parisien (she/they) is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa (Anishinaabe) from Belcourt, North Dakota. A first year in Pauli Murray college, they are interested in studying Ethnicity, Race, & Migration and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. In her free hours, she can be found adventuring to every coffee and book shop in New Haven, wistfully looking at pictures of her cat Penelope, and napping the amount of time equivalent to an elder’s. If you see them on campus, say hi and ask for a dad joke. You are guaranteed to regret it or your money back!