Man, oh man. I wasn't much in school. In fact, I had zero initiative in most things except fishing and sports. But if this opportunity was presented to me back then, I would have been all over it.
Here’s a chance for a high school student to learn and fish in a premier fly fishing destination, thanks to a scholarship from Bajío Sunglasses and FishforChange.org. Imagine traveling abroad, learning how to fly fish, and immersing yourself in nature and culture—all while building lifelong friendships.
Here’s the deal: Bajío is sponsoring a fully paid Temples of Change scholarship, sending a high school student to a world-class fly fishing destination in the summer of 2025. And when Bajío says "world-class," it's not hyperbole. Honduras, the Bahamas, Mexico, Costa Rica—with epic game fish; permit, snook, bonefish, and tarpon.
But it’s more than fishing. The program includes conservation work, community building, and cultural immersion—These are the things that can open the world to a teenager and give purpose.
When I was in high school, I would have never believed fly fishing could be a way of life. Back then, I’d probably have been labeled as ADHD. My mind was rarely on what the teacher was saying. Instead, I was looking out the window, watching the clock, or in my head daydreaming about a fishing adventure I read in Outdoor Life.
If a teacher had walked up to me and said, “Kenny, Bajío will give you a scholarship for a fly fishing adventure like the ones you read about,” my focus would have become laser-like. Today, this is a reality.
Fish for Change has created a program where students from the U.S. travel to exotic fly fishing destinations. Once there, they engage in hands-on conservation projects, stay with local families, and even apprentice as fishing guides. The evenings are spent writing, discussing, and reflecting. It’s an opportunity to learn in ways that a classroom simply can’t offer.
Bajío makes great sunglasses. I learned about them from fishing guides whose livelihoods depend on spotting fish. But that not what we are talking about here. It's the other side of Bajio that is making a difference.
Bajío is using its success to support youth, the fly fishing community, and communities around the world whose lives have improved because they have invested in becoming a fly fishing destination. This has created jobs while actively protecting and enhancing ecosystems.
This gives a high schooler a chance to be involved in what they love. It will expose them to a bigger world of different cultures and different people. This can plant the seed that gives them purpose and motivation.
When you buy a pair of limited-edition Vega shades from Bajío, $20 from every purchase goes to Fish For Change to fund scholarships.
If you know a high schooler who loves fishing and might not fit the mold of the "perfect" student, point them toward this opportunity. This is the chance of a lifetime, and for the rest of us, by purchasing a pair of Vegas, we can support this incredible initiative.
Applications are open until April 1st, 2025, All the details can be found on the Bajío website. I wish this existed when I was in high school. KB
"The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” – Herbert Hoover
Ken Baldwin's career in fishing and the outdoors started twenty-two years ago. For twenty of those years he guided anglers in remote Alaska. Along with his work as a guide, he created a TV show called Season on the Edge, which aired on NBC Sports, worked on the nature documentary Our Planet 2, for Netflix, specialized in photographing the Alaskan brown bear, and has published his photographs and writing in several magazines. Ken Baldwin is a graduate from the University of Washington.
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