Education Grant WinnerElizabeth Aguilar

Fishing can provide students a newfound appreciation for outdoor activity and an opportunity to take a break from the books. Not only does it give students an outlet to find excitement outside of the classroom, but it also continues their education by incorporating stewardship and learning about aquatic safety.

Elizabeth Aguilar, educator at Zamora Middle School, had just started a fishing club after school and was looking for help to acquire the resources they needed to continue to prove this club is here for the long run. Thanks to Power of the Dollar^® members, she was awarded a $1,000 grant in December 2024 for her “Zamora Fishing Club”, which she then used to purchase fishing rods, team uniforms, tackle boxes, lures, and other miscellaneous fishing equipment—she helped reel in all the fixins’ for some good ol’ fishin’!

“I love fishing and I fish with my husband and children—I just didn’t know how many kids would be interested, but there were a lot of kids,” said Aguilar. “It was about educating the kids and developing that love for the outdoors that I love. This is something they can carry through adulthood.”

The number of students that have been interested in Ms. Aguilar’s fishing club has been described as overwhelming—a welcomed response to first-year club. Kids who have enrolled into the club have enjoyed an experience unlike any they’ve been a part of before. Not only are the students eager as ever to get out there and fish, but their parents and families are also taking a strong interest in their new after school ventures. The students are having fun, building communication skills, and becoming more and more confident by the day.

“They are just so excited to fish,” she said. “It’s made a huge impact in the classroom. I know two teachers that will tell you their behavior has improved because they know they are leaders here on campus. We have a mixture of students, from all different backgrounds, coming together and helping each other!”