Meet the Team

Director
Henryc4@uw.edu

Chenoa is a Tulalip tribal member and grew up along the Washington coast (Tulalip, Puyallup, and Seattle). She has a deep commitment to education and is an advocate for tribal self-governance. Earning an undergraduate degree in American Indian Studies, she is an alumna of the University of Washington and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Seattle University. Chenoa enjoys watching movies with her fiancé and cat (Whisper), spending time with her family on Sundays, crocheting, cooking new recipes, and listening to podcasts on long walks. As the Director of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, Chenoa’s vision is to empower students, foster a sense of community, and create a supportive learning environment that welcomes all students.

Administrative Assistant
Yatzee37@uw.edu

Michael grew up 2 hours south of Seattle in Mossyrock, WA. He attended Mossyrock High School and enrolled at the University of Washington in 2010, where he joined First Nations at UW. He served in various officer positions throughout his undergrad and as Chairman in 2014. Michael graduated from UW in 2015, majoring American Indian Studies and American Ethnic Studies and minored in Diversity. As a student Michael worked with OMAD since Fall 2011 and has been on the team with OMAD between the Multicultural Outreach and Recruitment team and since January of 2016 with the wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House team. Michael enjoys playing MMORPGs with his friends and family, sharing the couch with his dog, Metzi, camping, and geeking out about Seahawks, especially leading into the draft! Some of his favorite things to do at work are helping students discover their direction, coaching them through the challenges college brings, and celebrating their successes!

Program Operations Specialist
amacarro@uw.edu

Avelakayawaywish is a member of the Pechanga Band of Indians (Payòmkawichum) and grew up near her reservation in Temecula, CA. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning degrees in Journalism and Film & Media Studies. She previously worked for the University of Washington as the American Indian/Alaska Native admissions counselor with the Multicultural Outreach & Recruitment team, and overseeing the Riverways Education Partnerships program as the Assistant Director of Rural & Tribal Partnerships for the CELE Center. Avelaka is a sometimes editor & writer, publishing Yàamay: An Anthology of Feminine Perspectives Across Indigenous California in October 2023. In this role with the Intellectual House, Avelaka hopes to magnify the UW Indigenous community with mentorship, support, and intention.

Student Staff & Student Assistants

The Intellectual House hires Student Lead and Student Assistant Staff aimed to build work experience in providing customer service and running a facility. Student Lead Staff provides mentorship and leadership to student assistants for developing professional skills. Throughout the academic year, each Student Staff hosts an event for students.

To see more information, see the Student Led Events page. Student Staff are hired on an annual basis via application in April.