When you hear of a six foot two, hunter and football player at Madison High School, what person comes to mind? If you said Riley Reurink, you would be correct. Riley Paul Reurink is a seventeen-year-old senior at Madison High School. He is the son of Paul and Leanne Reurink and the brother to Cam, Chris, and Kiersten. Riley spends his time hunting, playing football, and working. One could say Riley is a great multi-tasker, as he works two jobs - one at F & M Co-op working the cash register, and the other on his family farm running equipment.
When I asked Riley what his favorite subject is in school, he said, “Agriculture, because it’s super chill and I know how to do everything.” As you can probably tell by now, agriculture and farming have played a huge role in Riley’s life. Once he graduates, he plans to attend Mitchell Technical Institute and major in Agronomy. After I asked Riley where he saw himself in ten years, he replied with, “I see myself having a job as a farmer or agronomist and starting a family of my own.”
The outdoors has always been something that intrigued Riley. In fact, if he could live anywhere in the world for a year, he would stay in the United States and live in Montana. When asked “Why?”, he said it was because of the “Amazing scenery and outdoors.” His interest in the outdoors plays a part in his bucket list as well, as his top two items on the list are to travel to Yosemite National Park and to shoot an elk.
Family is something that means a lot to Riley. He stated that he has family in the Netherlands and stressed very much that visiting them was something that he really wanted to do in the near future. Riley’s grandpa, Henry, started the family farm and his family has continued to expand it. Riley continues to carry on the hard work his family has put into the farm.
Riley has a really fun side to him which is the side that most of his peers and friends get to see every day. When asked what he is really good at, he stated, “Hunting, football, finding sketchy movie sites, and breaking stuff” (emphasis on the breaking stuff). If he could play any character in a movie, tv show, or book, he would play Patrick Star from SpongeBob because “he does nothing all day.” In addition to Riley’s fun side, he has a very caring side as well, and if he was given five million dollars, he would give two and a half of it to charity and the rest to feed the hungry and save cats and dogs from euthanasia.
Riley has made an impact on everyone around him and there’s no doubt that Riley’s ambitious, sincere, and witty personality will get him far in life.