Every year, we ask the parents of our 4 Deerhorn Leaders to look back at their son’s years at Deerhorn. It’s so fun to hear them reflect on all the years their kids have spent at camp and the growth they’ve seen along the way. We kick off our Look Back series with Desmond Mangat, Leader of the 2024 Deerhorn Eagles. Many thanks to Kishen and Lindsay for their help with the post!
From Desmond’s first visit to Camp Deerhorn until now, it is hard to fathom how the years have gone by. He was impossibly small, arriving at father-son camp for the first time in 2013, but there was no chance Desmond would miss out for another year after hearing all about Camp from his older brother, Vincent. From that first summer, Desmond displayed a tenacious spirit playing sprout ball and making friends with older campers. I could see Deerhorn bringing out the best of his confident and joyous nature.
Since then, Desmond has been a fixture at Camp Deerhorn. The summer of 2024 will be his eleventh. Lindsay and I have seen him grow tremendously through his Camp experiences and friendships. It is not unusual for Desmond to talk about and more importantly demonstrate what the Deerhorn Creed means to him.
He is constantly in touch with Camp friends of all ages from all over the country and is often counting down the days and weeks until he can go back to his second home. From camp games to water sports and his summer as a Voyager, there are too many formative experiences to name. But Camp has been more than just a summer activity for Desmond.
In 2015, our family moved about 30 miles from Denver to Boulder, which meant a change of schools. Initially, this move was challenging for Desmond. He is a loyal friend and was worried about losing contact with some of his friends from Denver.
Fortunately, some of his friends from Denver like Sully Sherry and Walker Blaustein also became regulars at Camp. Desmond has been able to nurture these friendships during the summer at Deerhorn and on the ski slopes of Vail. We have also heard so much about Navin and their great friendship. Camp has provided Desmond with an understanding of the importance and value of long-lasting relationships. We know this virtue will serve him throughout life.
We have no doubt these four incredible people will have the summer of a lifetime. We are proud of Desmond and his fellow leaders for the connections they share and their desire to contribute to Camp culture and community this summer.
