www.martinmarietta.com | September/October 2 2019 The Conveyor 11
For a great many, the words “over fertilization” have little meaning.
Sure, maybe some yellowed Bermuda grass comes to mind or,
perhaps, that time the daylilies wilted midway through the season.
When Rio Bonham hears the words, his vision returns instantly to a
horrible moment from his youth.
“We have a creek that runs through our property and a little while
back, our upstream neighbor tried to fertilize his land and overapplied,”
the 18-year-old says. “It was just a mistake, but the fertilizer found its
way into our watershed and completely ruined the ecosystem. It helped
a particular type of algae bloom wildly. When the algae died and
decomposed, it kicked up the oxygen in the water, which then killed a
bunch of fish. I understand the need to have food on the table, but we
have to do better so that we continue to have life in the woods.”
Now a Martin Marietta scholar, Bonham heads off to Oklahoma
State University where he intends to study biosystems and agricultural
engineering.
“Essentially, what I want to do is research and implement more
sustainable agricultural methods because I understand the difficulties
of our farmers,” he says. “I’ve seen firsthand what happens when there’s
a drought and you have to sell off cattle and I want to help our farmers
be more profitable and sustainable on a large scale.”
To that end, the teen has spent the past four years preparing himself.
He served as both president and vice president of his high school’s
Future Farmers of America chapter and was an Oklahoma state
ambassador for the 4-H youth organization. He served on the student
government and played varsity football. All the while, he earned top
grades, graduating first in his class of 133 students.
Though he’s excelled in every aspect of his life these past few years,
Bonham says leaving his small school behind for a university that’s
home to more than 20,000 undergraduate students poses a new set of
challenges. He’s confident he’ll be able to overcome.
“I really enjoyed growing up in Tishomingo because I feel like people
there really understand how life is supposed to work,” he says. “But I think
I’m ready for college. For me, it’s about finding a community. It’s about
finding people who share my interests, but not my same perspective.
I want to find people who challenge me to think differently.” ▼
Rio Bonham
Oklahoma State University
Just the Facts: Rio Bonham
Parents: Mill Creek Limestone Equipment Operator
Marc Bonham and Dana Bonham
High School: Madill High School (Oklahoma)
Rio’s message to dad: “Thank you for creating this
opportunity for me. Your work has made a huge difference
in how successful I’ll be. You’ve given me the chance to
truly focus on what I have to do.”
Photo courtesy of Oklahoma State University
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