Niko Nemanic (2020)

The water in America is running out, and Niko Nemanic, JMPS Class of 2020, is determined to do something about it. 

“The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in America, and it’s dropping by about two feet per year,” Niko explains. “It’s predicted to be 70 percent depleted by 2060.” 

In order to find and enact solutions, Niko plans to become a natural resource attorney specializing in water.

To learn more about the legislation of natural resources, Niko is completing a congressional internship in Washington D.C. through Texas A&M’s Agricultural & Natural Resource Policy internship program this summer. 

“I first heard about this internship program when I was a junior at JMPS. It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to go to [Texas] A&M,” Niko says. “The program finds people with similar goals, brings you together, sends you out to DC, and gives you free housing, which is a big thing…I spent months on my application. It’s pretty cool to see it all come to fruition.”

As an intern Niko applies his expertise in natural resources by writing memos about legislation  in the congressional office of August Pfluger, representative of the 11th Congressional District of Texas. He also attends congressional caucuses and committee hearings on agricultural and natural resources, foreign affairs, and homeland security. 

He works directly with constituents too, writing 499s, letters that update the district on Congressman Pfluger’s activities in the House of Representatives. Niko also answers constituent phone calls, listening and relaying their views and concerns back to Pfluger.

“The district that we’re working for has a lot of ranchers and farmers,” Niko says. “Serious drought is a big thing people are facing in central Texas, which lowers the amount of crops and livestock they can produce."

During his freshman year of college, Niko lived in a rural 300-people town of May, Texas, where he worked as a ranch manager for BOHICA Land and Cattle LLC and for his grandfather’s ranch. He “really got to see what water shortage does to the people of rural America.”

Just as going from his rural town of 300 people to a town of 115,000 was a big shock, so was moving from College Station to D.C. and taking public transportation every day. 

But he is adjusting well and enjoying his time in D.C. 

“Everybody here is constantly working, putting 110 percent into everything they do,” Niko says. “It takes the work ethic up a whole level.”

Every day is “a little bit different,” Niko says, and while he’s always been drawn to the science of natural resources, “it’s interesting to see the legislative side.” 

In the fall he will start his junior year of a B.S. in Agricultural Economics in College Station, but after getting a taste of life in D.C. he plans to return to the capital to practice natural resource law and pursue politics. 

“The combination of agriculture and natural resources….that’s where I want to devote my time,” Niko says.

Experience at JMPS

Niko recalls his experience at JMPS as “useful regarding being able to do hard work. The classes really prepared me, especially Mr. Pond and Dr. Quigley’s classes. They were really similar to how my college professors teach.”

In his Agricultural Economics class, Niko says, “the professors really care about you, kind of how Dr. Quigley did. The material’s challenging but they’re willing to help you understand it, no matter how long it takes.” 

Niko also recalls Mr. Batchelder as influencing him personally and academically. 

“Mr. Batchelder gave an assembly lecture one time on intrinsic self-worth that stuck with me throughout college. That’s been helpful,” Niko says.

Mr. Batchelder’s Economics class was also helpful as Niko decided exactly what to study in college.

“I really found Economics interesting. That’s another thing I learned from James Madison. I was always trying to decide if I wanted to do Business, Agricultural Business, or Agricultural Economics.”

He realized he wanted to go into Agricultural Economics due to its real-world applications to crops.

Solutions for Water Depletion

As for America’s aquifers, Niko has learned during his time at Texas A&M and in D.C. about potential ways to slow down their depletion.

One option is desalination, the removal of salt from water to leave fresh water behind. It sounds good but is expensive.

“It’s very ineffective compared to what you get out of it,” Niko says. “It costs billions of dollars to build desalination plants.” 

Other solutions include advancements in technology in agriculture. One new technology is aquaponics, a method of growing food using fish and fish waste to fertilize plants.  It is less expensive, uses 90 percent less water than soil farming , and can be done anywhere, according to Niko.

It’s a promising solution, but “the first rule in economics is that incentives matter, so if you can incentivize that in such a way that would be more profitable for farmers, I’m sure they could make that change," Niko says. "Of course it requires very, very careful legislation, especially when dealing with America's food source. It needs to be very, very careful and very precise.”

Game plan going forward

In addition to working on solutions to help Texas ranchers, Niko wants to find ways to attract more young people to farming. 

“The average age of a farmer right now is 60, but there aren’t a lot of people getting into the industry.” 

After he graduates with his B.S., Niko wants to continue at A&M’s School of Law and get a law degree focusing on natural resources. He plans to practice law in Texas for a few years and then return to D.C. 

His advice for other JMPS students: “Whenever there’s an opportunity that could benefit you, go ahead and take that. Don’t be scared to fail.”