As a junior at Park City High School, Daniel Rosenbloom decided that he wanted to make a difference.

He knew that he loved service after volunteering at local events such as races, but he was curious to find a new way to give back to the community. Not long after, he heard about Big Brothers Big Sisters and joined.

Rosenbloom, who is now a graduate from Park City High School, was recently recognized with a $500 scholarship from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, in partnership with Minor League Baseball. Last Thursday, he attended a Salt Lake Bees game at the team’s stadium in Salt Lake City to receive his check and throw the first pitch.

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Rosenbloom said that it was nice to receive recognition after putting in so much time and effort into the program.

He first became involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2016 through the organization’s school-based mentoring program. In the program, students between first and sixth grade are matched with a mentor who is between ninth and 12 grade. Mentors spend approximately one hour every week working with their partners to read, do homework or play together.

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Rosenbloom said that, as the youngest of three children, he always wanted to have a younger brother. This was a chance for him to not only develop a relationship with a younger child in the area, but also see that student succeed.

“You can really see the impact that you are making in this person’s life,” he said.

Rosenbloom said that he worked especially hard with his second-grade partner to help him improve his grades. Rosenbloom reached out to his teachers to ask what subjects to focus on during their time together. Over time, he started seeing his partner’s grades and confidence boost, and he was motivated to help even more.

It was especially inspiring when he saw his partner start to enjoy reading, which he had not before.

“When he would pick out books for himself that he wanted to read and he would be enthusiastic about reading them,” Rosenbloom said, “that definitely had an impact on me.”

Lacey Cole-Rae, the Summit and Wasatch counties manager of Big Brothers Big Sisters, said that it was evident that Rosebloom took his position as a mentor very seriously. He was a consistent part of his partner’s life, which made a difference.

She said that Rosenbloom deserved the scholarship. Only 20 students around the country were selected as recipients.

Rosenbloom said that being involved in the program was an incredible experience that taught him a lot about himself, but also the opportunity gaps that exist in Park City. His partner’s parents did not speak English and were therefore not able to help him with his homework. Rosenbloom, who is planning on attending Grinnell College in Iowa in the fall to study political science, said that he hopes to use his degree to find ways to close achievement gaps and continue to help people succeed.

“I think it has re-entrenched my passion for helping those who lack resources in our community,” he said.