My Future Is In The Hands Of Chi Winkle

For the last decade of my life, my summers have been one thing. Summer Camp. I would spend my time amid the forest and the lake, soaking up the summer sun and my voice would be shot from cheering so loudly. My summers were meant for camp.

You see, summer camp is in my blood. For anyone who attended Camp Chi in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the names Steve and Tracey Doniger are beyond familiar and they just so happen to be my parents. I’ve heard all the Camp Chi stories about them – from the shows my father did with Steve Greenberg to pool time with my mom, or when they ran the SIT program. They bonded at Camp Chi and they’ve instilled their passion for camp in me!

For a majority of my life, I’ve been a camper and a staff member at Camp Tecumseh, a YMCA camp in the middle of nowhere Indiana. While I spent most of my summers there, I knew I wanted to experience what my parents had at Camp Chi. When my mom was in college, she went on a whim and decided to work at a summer camp. She had never heard of Camp Chi but it was her opportunity to meet new people and experience a different way of life. In that same spirit, I knew I wanted to take on the same challenge and see what this infamous “Chi magic” was all about.

This winter, I applied to work at Camp Chi, without telling my parents and while already having another job lined up. After I told them I had an interview, all my father could say was, “LEGACY!” for months. Camp Chi offered me the job and I eagerly accepted it. While it was scary to leave the camp world I have known for over half my life, I have felt nothing but support and a warm welcome from my new Camp Chi family! I am grateful that Camp Chi is giving me the opportunity to continue my parents’ legacy and create my own path.

I can’t wait to add to my family’s Chi story and experience what a Chi summer has to offer! As my parents told me, my future is in the hands of Chi Winkle now. I don’t exactly know what that means, but I know I will in no time.

Lillian Doniger is a current student attending Western Carolina University she is on the path of majoring in Parks and Recreation Management with a minor in History. As the daughter of Dr. Tracey Hunter-Doniger and Steve Doniger, the flare and love for camp is in her blood and she intends on keeping their legacy alive this summer. In her professional life, she works hard to ensure everyone is having a great time all the time. She is excited to work her first summer at Camp Chi and spread the spirit and love that she has experience at summer camp.