Katelyn Bohnenblust spends her summer educating others about water management and conservation.
The future of Kansas water could potentially rest in the hands of a dedicated K-State student — Katelyn Bohnenblust. Investing in the future of Kansas water has opened a major career path for Bohnenblust. She aspires to educate others concerning the current condition of Kansas’ water resources.
Bohnenblust wants to help communities gain better appreciation for the value of their local water supplies — today and for the future. In pursuit of this passion, Bohnenblust applied for the Marjorie J. & Richard L.D. Morse Family and Community Public Policy Scholarship and was chosen as the 2017 recipient.
“This scholarship has allowed me to devote my time this summer to further develop myself, so I am ready for a career in agricultural education,” Bohnenblust said. “The best part is sharing my passion of agriculture with people all across the state.”
The Morse Family and Community Public Policy Scholarship aids undergraduate projects involving community service and public policy. As this year’s recipient, Bohnenblust applied her dedication toward a program called Training the Next Generation of Kansas Water Advocates — a conference for Kansas teens and a call-to-action for conservation.
“Our water resources impact our way of life, and I know this conference will bring more awareness to everyone in our state concerning our need to protect our water resources.”
Bohnenblust’s ultimate goal is to create a group of students willing to speak to their communities and present information regarding water and its conservation. Bohnenblust’s mission is to provide students with the proper tools to be successful water advocates. In this program, she served as a mentor while educating high school students.
“This conference is not just about training students to become water advocates, it is about developing their abilities and talents,” Bohnenblust said. “For others that are not directly involved with the program, I hope they will be able to see the importance of water conservation through the presentations that these trained water advocates will do throughout Kansas.”
The summer conference was held at the Kansas Department of Agriculture in July. Bohnenblust will be a sophomore in the fall while majoring in agricultural education, including minors in animal sciences and industry, along with international agriculture.
“The KSU College of Agriculture has already made a positive impact on my college experience, and I know that I will be career-ready after leaving K-State,” Bohnenblust said.
