Shawyna Spino serves as youth specialist for Pathways program

Shawyna Spino, who joined the WAGAP team last October as a youth specialist, is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

“Pathways is a program that helps people find resources within their community,” Spino said. The service has been added through a grant from Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health and her role is focused on serving the homeless population among young people.

Having lived along the Columbia River all of her life, Spino is deeply connected to the native community. “I grew up all along this river. I never left this river. I’ve always been along this river,” she said about her upbringing. “My connection is to the people, it makes it easy to talk to my local people.”

Growing up in Lyle, she said she wasn’t familiar with WAGAP, the community action agency that works locally to fight poverty. But later she got to know it, and now she is a part of it and can share it with native families.

“Now they have an opportunity to talk to someone they feel more comfortable with,” she said.

Her journey is a personal one, as the new Youth Specialist needed to be one who has experienced homelessness. She spoke frankly that, off and on, homelessness was a regular part of her life during her youth. Many factors contributed to her situation, but the result was moving often up and down both sides of the Columbia River and living where she could.

Her experiences did not stop her from succeeding and, with support of many others, she graduated from Lyle High School in 2020. She credits her school counselor Julie Larson with referring her to apply for this position. Over the years, Larson has cultivated a relationship with the native community and has developed a bond of trust with Spino.

Larson learned of the position and thought it would be a good fit for Spino. When asked if it was the right place at the right time for Spino to apply, Larson said without hesitation, “I really think it was.” She added that Spino had always been a good advocate for herself and she worked well with others.

The initial training cycle for a program coordinator included extensive job shadowing. Spino is now working to create a cycle of visitations to places where native people gather. She wants to be a regular asset in making people aware of programs and services that are available like food banks and housing options within the WAGAP system and to make referrals to other local programs such as legal assistance and counseling.

When asked what her best moment has been so far, she said it was meeting with her “Aunties and Uncles” at one of the In Lieu sites, where tribes have maintained treaty fishing rights, and having them express, “They never thought they would see someone like themselves on the other side of the table.”  She sees this position as an opportunity to give back and be available for her community.