Genevieve & Mishke – A Love Written in the Stars
For many, YMCA Camp Eberhart is where they find their spark for adventure, lifelong friendships, and even careers. For alumni Genevieve and Mishke, it’s where their journey began — and eventually, where it brought them back together.
Their story has deep roots. Both come from families with rich camp legacies: Mishke’s mom and Genevieve’s dad were campers in the 1960s. In fact, Genevieve’s dad was a beloved counselor — just one of many serendipitous connections between their families.
Genevieve and Mishke first crossed paths as senior campers in the late 1980s. A “two-camp-year” age difference meant they mostly orbited each other. “I wasn’t even on her radar,” Mishke laughs. Genevieve adds, “It wasn’t love at first sight, but we definitely knew of each other.” Later, they worked together in the astronomy program — Genevieve as a program head, Mishke as a junior counselor — forming a closer camaraderie.
After that summer, life took them in separate directions. Genevieve served in the Peace Corps, lived abroad in Mexico, and built a career in nonprofit leadership. Mishke continued at YMCA Camp Eberhart, eventually becoming the Counselors in Training (CIT) Director in 1999, before finding community and adventure out west in Colorado. Their lives were full, meaningful — yet separate.
That is, until YMCA Camp Eberhart’s family camp brought them back together as adults. “Family camp is relaxed and informal,” said Mishke. "You can do archery, canoeing, hang at the campfire, or just be." For both of them, the atmosphere created the perfect setting to reconnect.
During a stargazing session, as Mishke pointed out constellations to a group of wide-eyed kids, something clicked. “I had forgotten how great this man is,” Genevieve said. “He made it magical. I realized he was living the kind of life I wished for my son.”
That moment stayed with her. Not long after, Mishke visited Bloomington, where Genevieve lived. They met up at a mutual camp friend’s home, and something deeper sparked.
As they talked and caught up, Mishke was struck by Genevieve’s admiration for the life he had built. “She described her life — traveling, leading nonprofits, raising a child — and I thought, ‘That’s amazing.’ To be seen and appreciated for the life I’ve built... that meant everything,” he said.
In early 2021 they began dating. By 2024, they were married – in the very place that brought them together.
Last May, they returned to YMCA Camp Eberhart to say “I do” in the chapel overlooking Corey Lake, surrounded by friends, family, and the camp community that shaped their lives. Their bond is rooted in shared values — adventure, community, independence — and a love for a camp that helped shape them: YMCA Camp Eberhart. Today, their son is a camper, now in his eighth year, and the whole family still attends Family Camp, often alongside other alumni, building new memories on the same grounds where their story began.
“We went our separate ways, lived whole lives, and came back together,” Mishke says. “YMCA Camp Eberhart brought us back.”
Their story is one of many that show how camp isn’t just about summer fun — it’s about life-changing moments, lasting connections, and a foundation for the future.
