Meet the 2024-2025 Natives at Penn Board!
- Ryly Ziese, President
- Mollie Benn, Vice President
- Carlyle Cornell, Treasurer
- Nikolai Curtis, Communications Chair
- Collin Welch, Social Chair
Ryly Ziese, President
Ryly is a senior studying Finance and Behavioral Economics. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is from Cookson, OK. Ryly has been an active member of Natives at Penn since her freshman year, serving on the board for three years. She is passionate about reconnecting Indigenous people with their culture and heritage, and she integrates this focus into her academic work. As a member of the ARCH building steering committee, Ryly has advocated for creating inclusive spaces that foster community and cultural exchange.
Mollie Benn, Vice President
Mollie is a senior studying Cinema and Media with a minor in Journalistic Writing. She is from Norman, Oklahoma and is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She has been involved with NAP for four years and has served on the board for three. Outside of NAP, Mollie is passionate about film and writing.
Carlyle Cornell, Treasurer
Carlyle is a current junior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Economics and Native American and Indigenous Studies. She is Chickasaw and is originally from Atlanta, GA. Carlyle is currently the Treasurer for Natives at Penn, and was the Communications Chair last year. Since her freshman year, she has loved being a part of the NAP family, and teaching ribbon skirt/shirt workshops! In her free time, Carlyle loves to fish competitively, design and construct clothing, and cook.
Nikolai Curtis, Communications Chair
Nikolai Jawiyuga Curtis is a junior studying Neuroscience and Spanish. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and is from Little Rock, AR. Nikolai enjoys teaching basket weaving.
Collin Welch, Social Chair
Mary Ann Kalei Baricuatro, NAP Advisor
Mary Ann is a NAP alum and currently serves as one of the Associate Directors at the Greenfield Intercultural Center. She is Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) and calls home both Wahiawā and Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Mary Ann first joined NAP as a grad student and is excited to support Native and Indigenous students as they navigate higher education, advocacy work, and life here at Penn.
