ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS – Chris Licht

Chris Licht

Hi-Rock alumnus, 1981-86, Chris Licht has been in the news recently for accepting the position of Vice President of programming at CBS News. Chris is also known as the co-creator and original executive producer of MSNBC’s successful “Morning Joe.” Just before his move to CBS, Chris had a harrowing experience that drastically changed his point of view. Last spring, Chris suffered from a brain aneurysm that nearly took his life. This experience motivated him to write the book, What I Learned When I Almost Died. The book recounts how his outlook on life, and what matters most, changed after it was almost cut short.

We are happy to announce that Chris recently accepted an invitation to become a YMCA Camp Hi-Rock board member! Camp was a special place for Chris and we had the chance to hear why. The most memorable aspect of Hi-Rock was “the exposure to all different kinds of people from different backgrounds that you don’t get in a small town.” Chris was able to make friends with a “diverse group of kids.” At camp, Chris also “fell in love with waterskiing.” Every summer he could not wait to get to Plantain Pond and ski. This sport defined a lot of his young life. In fact, Chris holds the record for the youngest barefoot waterskier at Hi-Rock, mastering this difficult technique at just 10 years old! What does Chris miss the most about Camp Hi-Rock? “The vibe, the great energy. It’s too bad you can’t carry that to other parts of your life… everyone being there to experience new things in a safe environment.”