HOLLADAY, Utah -- The daughter of the first black Major League Baseball player came to Utah on Wednesday to give an award to a fifth-grade student at Morningside Elementary school.
Sharon Robinson’s father, Jackie Robinson, is a source of inspiration for many. An essay contest for children where the subject is overcoming trials is one of the many projects inspired by Robinson’s legacy.
Steven Blodgett won first place in his grade category in the 2013 Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life essay contest. About 18,600 other essays were submitted to the contest by students from around the country.
Steven had his leg amputated in his battle to overcome bone cancer, and he said he made it through the experience with courage and through family teamwork.
Lynda Davis teaches fifth grade at Morningside Elementary School, and she said Steven is an inspiration.
"He's loved by all the kids in the class and in the school,” Davis said. “He works hard. He's brilliant. He's fun-loving. He's sweet. He's a writer. He is, he has… He inspires me.”
Steven, along with his teacher, received a laptop computer, a set of T-Shirts for his class, and a book authored by Sharon Robinson for winning first place, according to a press release.
Steven said he wants to be a chemist and a writer when he grows up.
