It takes a certain kind of person to be motivated to leave a familiar place and move hundreds or thousands of miles to live in an isolated, rural community with few facilities in the hopes of helping other people live better. I know because I did it myself, but that was thirty years ago! I was anxious to meet the seven pioneers of our Fisheries Fellows Course who were about to commit to spending two years working with small scale fishermen in Baja Mexico.

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As they struggled off buses that brought them to Baja — 17 hours I believe one of them had spent on the bus —  I could see they were weary from their journey but incredibly enthusiastic about what was to come. To give just one example: the tall, slim 23-year-old Salvador Rodríguez Van Dyck, who will be working in Agua Verde. What he lacks in years he more than makes up for in enthusiasm. I have a sneaking suspicion he is going to be a star.

Watching them settle in to the beautiful little La Damiana Inn (Loreto), I felt a huge sense of privilege seeing the group as they begun their ten weeks of studies that will launch them as Fellows. I could not help but be inspired by Omar, Salvador, Raquel, Pablo, Dulce, Adriana and Ivan and be incredible proud of my staff Cynthia Mayoral and Constanza Santa Anna, who had made it all happen.

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