We are excited to announce Mallory Hockemeyer as our Director of Outdoor Education and Family Ministry. Mallory was a camper at Lutherhaven most of her summers as a child and grew a passion for Camp early in life. After spending the summer of 2022 as a camp counselor at another camp ministry, SpringHill, she knew she wanted to return to camp ministry. Thanks to her sister, Brooke “Specs’,” encouragement, she applied to be a counselor and returned to her camp home at Lutherhaven.
Mallory is originally from Fort Wayne, but comes to us from Bloomington, Indiana where she graduated from Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) with a degree in International Studies, Germanic Studies (Yes, she speaks German!), and Nonprofit Management. A strange combination, she knows. She will tell you that she wishes she could have picked ten majors, but when she looks back on her fondest learning experiences from her time in Bloomington, they were through the ministries she was involved in there. During her time at IU, she served as a high school youth group leader at her local church, where she was also mentored by church staff and “adopted” by many kind congregation members. She was also heavily involved in an interdenominational student ministry called Chi Alpha. During her last year of school, she even helped captain and pioneer the first Chi Alpha women’s cycling team in IU’s historic bike race, the Little 500!
Originally seeking a career in International Diplomacy, God took her four years at a public university and opened her heart to ministry. So, she decided to gear her degree toward ministry-based nonprofit work, and God decided to bring her back home.
“As I look back on all my stepping stones of faith, they would not be there without the Godly friendships and mentors that came in abundance throughout my most formative years. Deep, Christlike community helps people experience the characteristics of Christ in a new way, and that’s why I love Lutherhaven. That’s why I’m so honored to pay it forward.”
Mallory is excited to grow into her role and especially get to know all the families and Lutherhaven alumni that love Camp so well and help steward the blessings it has brought to so many people’s lives. She is also excited to lead Outdoor Education and meet many new students in a non-traditional learning setting.
Some of Mallory’s favorite Lutherhaven memories include a kayak trip with her Treetop cabin, late night cabin devotions, and Thursday night dance parties. She loves seeing campers rising to challenges, whether its team building or asking deep questions during devotions, or especially seeing cabinmates form new friendships with the people they meet at camp.
“Camp is a place where kids realize that following Christ is meant to be full of joys alongside difficulties–not just a life of legalism. And I love to see those realizations take place.”
When she’s not working, you will find Mallory on her bike, taking road trips, learning a new skill or language, reading, or hosting game nights for her friends. She’s a bit of an adrenaline junkie and loves doing anything that takes her outside of her comfort zone and makes a good story. You should ask her about her semester studying abroad in Germany!
Mallory begins her new job the middle of August. She can’t wait to jump into staff meetings with full-time staff members she really admires, meeting Camp families and Outdoor Education students, and starting this new chapter of her life. Please join us in welcoming Mallory to the Lutherhaven staff!