Jones College Prep student Brandon Barroso ‘27 found an unexpected passion last summer in fishing, and is looking to continue it this summer with the purchase of a new fishing rod.

Barroso began his journey with fishing last summer when he borrowed his friend’s fishing rod.

“I started fishing last summer when my good friend Phillip and I just decided that we wanted to do something different for a summer day,” said Barroso. “So we called up our other friend and we asked him if we could borrow his fishing rod, and we had a fishing day. And we actually really enjoyed it.”

Barroso continued his new found passion for fishing throughout the summer.

“My friend let me keep his fishing rod throughout the whole summer. I borrowed it at the beginning so I got a lot of time with it,” said Barroso. “I would just go out by myself or sometimes with friends.”

Barroso found peace in fishing and has enjoyed consistently going out.

“I just really found it to be a relaxing and rejuvenating activity,” said Barroso. “I just noticed that while I was fishing, I felt very relaxed and calm. You’re looking out in a pond or a river, wherever it may be, and you’re kind of just enjoying the moment. You’re focused on the fishing, but not so much that it’s distracting from everything else around you. So yeah, it can just be really therapeutic.”

Barroso decided to purchase a new fishing rod after returning his friend’s.

“I returned my friend’s fishing rod because I had to move houses, and as summer is coming up, I’m just feeling like going fishing again but I feel bad taking my friend’s fishing rod again,” said Barroso. “I do think that I’m going to be doing it enough that it’s a worthwhile investment for me to just have my own. It makes it more accessible and there is also a certain sense of security that comes with something when you own it rather than when you borrow it.”

To buy his precious fishing rod, Barroso has started new ventures to get enough money to make the purchase.

“I’m doing extra chores at home for allowance, but that’s not really covering it well,” said Barroso. “So I’ve also been trying to pick up soccer games to referee, which usually pays around 35 dollars each game. I’ve gone around the school trying to sell things like chargers to people for reasonable prices. I’ve just been trying to slowly start to build up money because I think the average fishing rod is probably close to 100 dollars.”

Barroso’s peers have noticed his efforts to increase his monetary funds.

“Brandon texted me the other day trying to sell me some phone chargers,” said Annette Walker ‘26. “He ended up selling them before I got the chance to buy them, so I think he’s definitely getting closer to his goal.” 

Barroso’s peers believe there are ways he can improve his business practices.

“I think he should stay true to himself and his business,” said Isabella Guzman ‘25. “I think he has potential, he just needs to work on it a little bit and deliver on his words to his customers and find new things to sell. I think the options are getting a little dry and limited. But the sky is the limit for him.”

Barroso believes that earning the funds to buy the fishing rod makes the experience much better.

“When you put in the work to achieve your goals, it makes everything so much better,” said Barroso. “I know that when I buy my fishing rod it is going to feel so much more rewarding because I earned it.”

Barroso has been working hard to get his own fishing rod this summer and is sure he will achieve his goal.

“The first thing I’m going to do when I get my fishing rod is go to the Chicago River at Ping Tom Park alone and just fish as long as I want to,” said Barroso.