This Year’s Counselors

Every summer Camp Mishawaka hires a staff of remarkable young men and women to serve as counselors, activity and trip leaders. Many are former campers, many are new to Camp Mishawaka, but all are committed to making every camper’s experience fun, memorable and affirming.

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Flor is from Cholula, Mexico. This is her third year on staff. This summer she will use her organization skills as the Girls Camp Program Director. She is studying Business Logistics and is the host of all the sport and cultural events of her university. She likes volleyball, hiking and mountaineering but she loves singing and playing the ukulele and guitar. Her best activities are arts, crafts and singing. She can’t wait for another fun summer!

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Ana is from Madrid, Spain. More than ever she is excited to be back for her third year of staff this summer. She is a sporty girl and is studying physical education. She loves being surrounded by nature and helping others. She loves camp as a place where you can be yourself and rely on your counselors and friends for support. She loves traveling and has been to many places, lately Morocco (searching for new waves).

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Benjamin is so excited to be returning to Mishawaka this summer for his fifth year on staff. Ben completed his Sales Degree in Alexandria Minnesota and continues to adventure around Minnesota. He will be happy to see all of our new and retuning campers at Camp Mishawaka.

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Ana is from The Woodlands, Texas and is studying Economics at Texas A&M University. She is so excited for her first year on staff after 5 years as a camper. She loves being outdoors, doing yoga and making friendship bracelets. She can’t wait to be back at Mishawaka.

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Max will be back this summer for his third year on staff. He enjoys flying and is in flight school to become a pilot. He was a camper for six summers and can’t wait to get back to sailing on Pokegama.

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Maddy is from Cleveland, Ohio and is super excited to be returning to camp as a counselor! Maddy went to camp for 6 years and enjoyed archery and sailing during her time as a camper. She is currently studying Biochemistry at Macalester College on the Pre-Med track. She also has been working as a student EMT on campus. Maddy loves the outdoors and wilderness medicine. She spends her free time rock climbing, walking her dog and weight lifting.

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Kit is a long-time former Mishawaka camper and this will mark his 7th year on staff. When not leading campers in the Big Show, or cracking kids (and staff) up with his amazing sense of humor, Kit hangs his hat in Denver,CO. This summer Kit will serve up a wonderful slate of activities for campers in his role as Boys Camp Program Director.

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Sophia is super excited to be back for her second year on staff! She’s finishing her first year at Illinois Institute of Technology where she studies architecture. She loves anything outdoors and is looking forward to being back on the lake sailing and skiing. She can’t wait to get back to camp and see both old and new faces!

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Grace is really excited to come back to camp for her 3rd year as a counselor. She is currently studying at Miami University with a major in psychology. She is looking forward to sailing, drama, tennis, and kayaking. She can’t wait to see everyone this summer!

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Carolina is from Cancun, Mexico. This is her first year on staff and she’s really excited about this new experience. She’s currently studying Marketing and Digital Media at BUAP. She also loves performing arts, especially acting and has participated in several plays. She enjoys visiting new places, meeting new people, learning about unknown things and being surrounded by nature or places that inspire her to be more creative. She can’t wait to meet you soon and have fun together!

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This is Haley’s first year at Mishawaka, and she is so excited for a fun-filled summer. Growing up in Calgary, Canada, Haley has always loved hiking, backpacking, and all things outside. She loves travelling by bike, rock climbing, and trying out new activities. She is studying Psychology at Concordia in Montreal and works as a baker. She can’t wait for a summer in nature, and to meet all the campers and staff!

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José is from Veracruz, Mexico and is studying Engineering at the University. This will be his first year at Mishawaka as a staff member. He likes to play sports, running and swimming are his favorites. José also enjoys outdoor activities. He can’t wait to meet new people this summer.

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Dario is from Puebla, Mexico. He is studying Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. This is his first year on staff. He enjoys swimming and is excited to meet new people.

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Mark will be back at Mishawaka this summer! He lives in Rochester MN area with his wife, Angela, their one year old son and two dogs. He is originally from the UK. He has been on staff at Mishawaka for many years and is a physical education teacher in the off-season. Mark can’t wait to get back and see everyone - and jump in that lake!

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Oliver is the son of a former staff member, Thomas “The Big Swede” from the mid 90s. Oliver lives in Sweden and loves the wilderness, mountain trips and water sports. In Sweden he works with his father in construction. He is excited to come to Mishawaka this summer and help kids with waterski-ing.

Each summer they come from across the United States (and the globe), to create a culture of caring, respect and kindness. In recent years our staff has averaged 7 years counseling experience at Mishawaka.

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After multiple summers away from Mishawaka, Nick is happy and excited to be returning to Northern Minnesota. Currently in the midst of a masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in need of some necessary reprieve and welcomed new challenges, he is looking forward to having some good old fashioned fun and competition in the floor hockey arena, on the soccer field, and wherever else the activity is centered, eventually settling into his favorite place on camp property, the sauna. He has heard the attached lake is pretty wonderful too.

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This will be Trent’s 9th summer at Camp and 3rd year on Staff. Trent is from Appleton, WI and is finishing up his 3rd year at Ripon College studying Mathematics and Secondary Education. This summer Trent is excited to teach swimming along with helping out wherever he can! He cannot wait for all of the team games that Camp has to offer, and hopefully get some more Spikeball going this summer! He will be counting down the days until life on the lake.

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Ian is excited for his third year on staff at Mishawaka. He’s ready to come back to teach all his favorite activities, such as fishing, kayaking, and riflery. He is studying History and singing in the choirs at the University of Houston. He can’t wait to see everyone again and meet all of y’all and make this a fun and relaxing summer.

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Sara is from Cholula, Mexico. This will be her second year at Mishawaka. She is studying Biology because she is a nature lover. She loves doing sports, her favorites are mountaineering and hiking. On her free time she plays chess. She is excited to see everyone again, meet new people and have fun with the campers.

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Jenni is a second-year counselor from Budapest, Hungary. Currently teaching preschool in the off-season, she couldn’t be more excited to get back to Camp Mishawaka and teach horseback riding again. She loves the outdoors, swimming, and everything arts-and-crafts, and can’t wait to connect with campers again this summer.

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Noah is from Hartford, Connecticut, and is studying nursing at Creighton University. This is Noah’s first summer at Camp Mishawaka and he will be part of the nursing staff at Camp. When he is not studying Noah loves trying new restaurants and hiking, enjoying the local scenery. He is excited to join the staff this summer and it will be his first time in Minnesota!

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Annie is from Cleveland, Ohio. They currently study History and Studio Art at Williams College in Massachusetts. Annie enjoys spending their time working as a barista, drawing and painting, long boarding, rock climbing, and running a radio show. They were a camper for five years and particularly enjoyed sailing. Excited to be returning for their first year back as a counselor, Annie is looking forward to as many hours spent in the water as possible. They can’t wait to see familiar faces and meet new friends (as well as work alongside their twin, Maddy).

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Karol is from Mexico and is studying Art History and Curatorship. This will be her second year as a counselor after being a camper for three years. She loves singing, kayaking, archery, arts and crafts, swimming and can’t wait to be back at camp. She is very excited to see old friends, meet new ones and make this summer one to remember!

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This summer Marly will be stepping into the roll of Assistant Girls Camp Director. She joined the Camp Mishawaka family in 2018 as a counselor and Trip Director. Since then she has taught just about every program area at least once, although her heart still belongs to trips and camping. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, she loves being able to return to her hometown to share her love of the Northwoods with campers. Marly looks forward to learning more about being in a leadership role at camp this summer, and of course jumping in the lake every day!

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Annie has been a camper for 7 years and will be back for her second year on staff this summer. She is finishing off her freshman year at Cal Poly and can’t wait to be back at camp. Annie is looking forward to spending time on the waterfront and can’t wait to see everyone soon!

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Devyn was a 5-year camper at Mishawaka and we are excited to have him back at Camp this summer. He loves basketball and working out, and he is currently going to school at Heartland Community College in Illinois. He likes to volunteer and his favorite color is purple. He has a 2 year old son, and he’s in the Army National Guard. He also owns his own clothing business. He aspires to be a Physical Education teacher and maybe work real estate later in his career.

Many have specialized skills or certifications, including Red Cross life-guarding, US Sailing instructor rating, Wilderness First aid, and others. In addition to instructing activities and leading cabin-life, our staff serve as mentors and role models to their campers.

Camp Mishawaka maintains a 4:1 camper to staff ratio and this allows staff to know all campers and all campers to get to know all the staff. Their energy, commitment and talent is what makes Camp Mishawaka a place where campers can truly find their best selves.

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This will be Allie’s 4th year on staff. She was a camper for 9 years before that. She is currently teaching 4th grade in Kansas City, Missouri. She also coaches a club volleyball team and was a pole vaulter in college. In her free time, she loves to take pictures, go on adventures, and have fun. She’s so excited to be back at camp!

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Will is really excited to return for his third summer as a counselor. He is studying at Denison University and is majoring in economics. He is looking forward to teaching riflery, canoeing, fishing and other activities. He can’t wait to see everyone and is ready to have a blast.

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Nolie is an international student from Thailand currently living in San Diego, CA, attending the University of San Diego and majoring in Biochemistry. This will be her 2nd summer at Mishawaka. She loves hiking and backpacking and also adores swimming and water sports. She is very excited to be out in nature this summer and is really looking forward to camp!

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Katie will be a third year counselor at Mishawaka this summer. She is currently a Junior at the University of Montana where she is studying Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law. This summer Katie is looking forward to getting out on the lake, enjoying the sun, and connecting with new and old members of the Mishawaka family!

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Markos will be returning to Camp for his first year on staff, sixth summer at Mishawaka. Currently he is studying business management at HEC Montréal. He enjoys canoeing, sailing, biking and group games. More than anything, he is excited to meet the campers and have some fun.

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Henry is from London, England and is thrilled to be coming back to Mishawaka as a Junior Counselor after three years as a camper. Henry can’t wait to go to college in the fall and continue to row on the crew team. Henry enjoys reading, boating in the outdoors and is just counting down the days to when he can return to camp.

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Lee is from Montréal, Quebec and is majoring in Studio Arts with a special interest in fashion design. She grew up doing competitive swimming, competitive lifeguarding, rock climbing, canoe camping, horseback riding and a ton of arts and crafts. She loves spending time outdoors doing archery, playing games, and kayaking. She is looking forward to life by the lake for a sun & fun filled summer at Mishawaka!

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Sean is from Independence, MO and he first came to Camp Mishawaka in 1992, and has served in a variety of roles here including Boys Camp Director for 3 years. He is a veteran teacher and coach and lives with his wife Vanessa and their daughter Allie. Sean is a graduate of Missouri Southern University and holds a Master’s Degree in Education Administration. Sean also coaches volleyball, track, and basketball.

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Ben will be back in the Health Center this summer. He is orignally from Minnesota and has two boys who will also be at Camp. He and his family moved last year to the Charleston SC area, so we are so happy they call Mishawaka their summer home!

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Unlce Humberto is from Cholula Puebla in Mexico. This is his second year at Mishawaka. He is studying his last year of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. He has designed machinery for his Pizzeria. He loves cooking, swimming and outdoor sports. One of his past-times is mountain climbing, and he has climbed the three highest volcanoes in Mexico.

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This will be Kat’s third year as Artist in Residence and she is super excited to be back at Camp Mishawaka with her husband Duane and her son Max. Kat loves making anything out of whatever is at hand, and especially loves anything that has to do with animals. She also loves swimming, kayaking, watching the stars at night, and is trying to learn to play ukelele!

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Duane is a multi-medium artist with over 25 years in puppet and mask theatre. He loves being outside and bird watching and hiking, especially with his son Max. He really likes making things and will try any medium available.

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Kari has been coming to Camp for a while. She met and married her husband, George, at Camp and their two boys were campers and staff. She is looking forward to helping at CampCraft and arts & crafts.

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George has been around longer than anyone and will be back this summer teaching canoeing, campcraft and bugling among other things.

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Alec grew up in Rochester, MN, and is a former camper (with George Lottes) and counselor (1970) when he focused on canoeing. He has lived in Seattle for 50 years now. Largely retired, he still enjoys the outdoors, particularly hiking and sailing, including racing in Puget Sound. He credits Mishawaka for his love of the outdoors and is looking forward to returning for the first time in, like, forever. He is eager to help out wherever he can at camp.