For generations of young girls, Camp Mystic has meant more than just summer days on the banks of the Guadalupe River — it’s a place of love, tradition, and belonging.
For Elena Zeballos, it was all of that and more.
Zeballos first passed through the camp’s iconic green gates as a second grader, beginning what would become a nine-year journey as a camper at the cherished all-girls retreat.
After graduating from The Hockaday School, she returned as a counselor, guiding a cabin of 13-year-olds during a recent summer term — just a week before deadly flash floods swept through the Hill Country.
“It’s such a special place that gave me the chance to find what I thrive in, away from any pressures of the outside world,” said Zeballos, now a student at the University of Richmond. “The friendships, the routines, the rites of passage, the memories made — all of it still means so much to me.”
Neighborhood Spotlight
Preston Hollow
Like many alumnae, Zeballos holds deep affection for the camp’s unique traditions.
“I loved horseback riding, dance, tennis, fishing, hiking, and especially, riflery,” she said. “We swam a lot, and we even had synchronized swimming when I was a kid there.”
But one ritual remains particularly sweet: the coveted Tweety cookies, named after Camp Mystic owner Tweety Eastland. Baked as a reward for the “cleanest cabin,” the secret-recipe cookies are the stuff of Mystic lore.
“You’ll never see so many girls motivated to clean,” she laughed. “Winning those cookies is everything.”
This year, Zeballos’ cabin won the prize — a proud moment now tinged with sorrow and deeper meaning, as the flood’s aftermath weighs heavily on the Mystic community.
“I would have driven there in an instant if I could,” said the Mystic Camp, Cypress Lake counselor.“It’s such a wonderful community that truly molds young girls. It helped me through a lot in my life,” she said.
Now, Zeballos is focused on maintaining the connection of the beloved camp and on comforting others. Through her social media, she’s invited fellow campers to her home to share the treasured cookies — baked with the closely guarded recipe passed down from her mother and aunt.
“My brother still can’t get the secret ingredients out of us,” she said.
Alongside the pain, Zeballos feels the warmth of her community surrounding all those who have lost so much in the tragic events.
“I knew in my heart that my campers were all safe but seeing them all recently has been really healing for me,” she said after attending vigils for those missing and lost.
For Zeballos and so many others, what began at a summer camp by the river remains a lifelong bond — one built on joy, resilience, and the unshakable embrace of sisterhood.
“I hope we can eventually rebuild to keep spreading the magic of Mystic. That is the resilience it taught us, and we will forever keep the spirit of those lost in our hearts,” she said. “We all have a shared bond of the incredible love we experienced from the moment we entered those green gates.”
