HARRISBURG, Pa. — Paul Almquist has always felt compelled to give back.
Not only to his country, but also to his community.
"Something that when I grew up, I missed at a crucial age was having that mentor in my life," said Almquist. "And I just felt like I could have an impact on someone a little bit younger."
He was connected with Ethan through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region in 2015. The pair has remained close ever since.
Big Brothers Big Sisters connects kids and teens with a mentor in the hopes of bettering their lives. The organization says Ethan's life has been positively impacted by his relationship with Almquist.
"He plays football for his school. He's involved with Junior ROTC. He works part time," said Almquist. "He's just a super hard working, sweet, very kind kid."
Following in Almquist’s footsteps, Ethan even received a leadership award from his school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
"Having that positive impact of the role model and getting Almquist into his life really helped him branch out more and get involved," said Amanda Dunn, vice president of programs. "I don't think he would have even looked into JROTC, let alone get an award in that."
January is National Mentoring Month, and more than 100 kids are waiting on someone to give them that life-changing guidance.
The agency is asking others to step up.
"It's been such a fulfillment to be part of Ethan's life, and it doesn't even take that much," said Almquist. "I think that's like a common misunderstanding with it and with any sort of giving back program. We feel that it's going to be all of this time in our day but a couple hours a month is all that it takes to be influenced."
Because even the little moments can leave a lasting impact on the next generation.
"Spend time with them. That's all they want," said Almquist. "Someone to see them and listen to them. It's just very rewarding."
To learn more about the agency, head here.