Ilise Schwartzwald has been working in camping year-round since 1974.
She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan, has taught high school in Highland Park & Deerfield District 113, and has developed a number of preschools.
Ilise is a member of the American Camp Association (ACA), and is a former ACA-IL section executive board member and Midwest Association of Independent Camps (AIC) co-president.
Ilise has been a certified WSI, lifeguard, and lifeguard instructor since 1967.
She coached high school level gymnastics. Originally, Discovery Day Camp was Ilise’s dream.
David Schwartzwald was involved in camp from the beginning, while he worked in other professions.
David is a graduate of Loyola University and a Certified Public Accountant who worked in the accounting field as well as in private industry.
David joined Discovery full time in 1990. David was the co-president of the Midwest AIC.
He was the treasurer of the Illinois section of the ACA for a number of years and David is still active with the ACA.
The Schwartzwald children all attended Discovery as campers and staff members.
All remain active in camp in varying degrees.
While all three Schwartzwald children have active professional lives besides camping; Mitchell, Karen, and Emily find time to be at camp for one or more camp days every summer.
They are all involved with various off-season planning too.
Karen Schwartzwald graduated with a degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders from Northwestern University in 2002.
She finished her master’s degree in speech and language pathology from Purdue University in 2004.
Karen interned at the Chicago Rehabilitation Institute before accepting a job for the Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSSED).
Karen worked as a speech pathologist for NSSED for three years.
Karen has spent at least part of every summer at camp since she entered high school.
Currently, Karen is working at camp part time during the winter and full time during the summer.
Karen has been an assistant group leader, group leader, Aquatics’ Director, Program Director, Unit Director, and Senior Director.
Karen knows camp backwards and forwards and can carry out any job at camp! Karen’s background in speech and special education as well as her experience at Discovery makes her an invaluable part of the DDC staff.
Emily Schwartzwald graduated with a degree in engineering from the University of Illinois in May 2005.
Before completing college Emily worked many summers at Discovery.
The positions she held include assistant leader, Explorer’s leader, group leader, and Aquatics’ Director.
After graduating Emily accepted a position in the executive training program with Federal Mogul Corporation.
Emily worked at Federal Mogul facilities in St. Johns, Michigan and Puebla, Mexico before beginning work at their Skokie facility.
Emily is very interested in lean engineering. She resides a few blocks from her sister in the Lincoln Park/Lakeview area.
Emily spent more than a week at camp during the summer of 2009.
She gives input suggestions about program, staff, shirt design, and organization on a regular basis.
Mitchell graduated with a degree in Management Information Systems from Purdue University in 1999.
Currently, Mitchell is a Senior Engagement Manager Adobe Systems Incorporated.
He married Laura Septon in 2002 and the two live in the Wicker Park area with their two children (son born in April of 2006) and (daughter born in December of 2008).
Laura is a CPA. Mitchell worked at camp as an assistant group leader, substitute group leader, Aquatics’ Director, and Operational Director. Currently, Mitchell lends his expertise to the Discovery website as well as many other computer and facility management concerns.
The Schwartzwald grandchildren love visiting camp.
They particularly like swimming in the pool, playing in the preschool room, and climbing on the playground.
