Hi There Parents and Campers!
Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Eli Shillinger, and I’m a CIT in the
challengers program this summer. I’m super excited to be working at A/U in the mountains of
Colorado. I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and lived there until I was 11. While I lived
there, I spent a lot of time travelling to different places in the world, and being outdoors. I’d say
my love of nature and the outdoors was sparked there, in the midst of visiting various game
reserves to see the African Wildlife. When I was 11, my family moved to northern Patagonia, on
the Chilean side, where my parents bought and operated a business that did hiking and horseback
riding in the Andes, which gave me the chance to spend all my time working around clients,
horses, nature, and everything else that goes with living on a ranch in South America. I became
fluent in Spanish living there, so I speak two languages. A lot of my time was also spent guiding
clients on smaller day hikes and tagging along on many of the trips we did, so I got loads of
experience doing that kind of work and learning how to prepare for trips and make sure they run
smoothly. After about 3 years there, my family moved to St. Louis, so my younger brother and I
could go to Principia. This is where I got to use Christian Science in my life every single day,
and learn how to approach every problem metaphysically. I also got the chance to go to Camp
Leelanau in Michigan with some of my closest friends. I had a blast at camp and got to love it
really fast. I also got the opportunity to use Christian Science in a lot of situations that challenged
me and I had so many healings at camp, such as a sprained knee last summer, and I’m so grateful
to have had those chances to demonstrate the Truth. Some other things I enjoy doing besides
going to camp and spending time outdoors are sports, meeting new people, being with my
friends, and travelling. I love playing baseball, and I play 3rd base, short stop, and pitcher for
Principia’s baseball team. Something else I also enjoy doing is acting. One of my close friends is
filming a show called The Bubble, that all of my friends and I are in, and I love expressing
myself that way. I’m really excited to meet all of you throughout this summer and get to know so
many new people. Camp is one of my favorite places, and even though I’ve never been to A/U
before this year, I know it’s the right place for me to be to try new things and push myself farther
while filling the role of a CIT as well to help others do the same. I hope you all enjoyed getting
to know me just a little in this letter, and are just as excited about camp as I am!
Sincerely,
Eli Shillinger