BASF’s TECH Academy teaches local high school students about craft careers

GEISMAR, LA, July 31, 2019 — Twenty-eight area high school students completed BASF’s TECH Academy – a week-long educational and workforce development program hosted at River Parishes Community College (RPCC) in Gonzales, Louisiana. The program encourages students to learn more about technical and craft careers through experiments, demonstrations, field trips and dialogue with industry professionals.

“This is a great opportunity for high school students to get a jump on their future,” said Jolen Stein, Communications Manager for BASF in Geismar. “TECH Academy introduces students to the great programs at RPCC that offer opportunities for careers in the industry. We help them envision a path for their success.”

The group of rising high school juniors and seniors from various local high schools participated in field trips that reinforced skills needed in technical disciplines such as a process technician, instrument technician, welder, pipefitter, drafter, lab technician and more. The students toured multiple facilities to learn about career opportunities, including BASF’s site in Geismar, AWC, Smith Tank and Steel, MMR Group and NASA Stennis Space Center.

“As the week progressed, I grew fond of drafting and design,” said Troy’el Comeaux, a student at Donaldsonville High School. “RPCC has a great program and since I love drafting, why not try to pursue the task that I love? Also, a technical degree would have me well-prepared for a job in industry.”

TECH Academy is part of BASF’s STEM education and workforce development efforts in North America to support industry growth and investment in the region.

“BASF’s program introduces high school students to a plethora of technical fields on a college campus,” said Dr. Dale Doty, Chancellor at RPCC. “The students also gain hands-on experience to see their potential job in a ‘real world’ environment.”

TECH Academy is funded annually by BASF and is free for students. A total of 150 high school students have completed TECH Academy in the last five years. The application process is open to any local student rising to their junior or senior year of high school with interest in technical careers. Students who complete the program are eligible to apply for BASF scholarships to pursue technical degrees or certifications at RPCC.

The following students completed TECH Academy 2019:

Ascension Christian High School:

Alex Milazzo

Donaldsonville High School:

Courtney Washington

Troy’el Comeaux

Dutchtown High School:

Adam Wall

Chelsea Jackson

Destiny L. Graves

Lamar Riley

Mason Leonard

Wyatt Kiger

East Ascension High School:

Camillus Louviere II

Eli Sonnier

Evan Smiley

Jahaziel Madrid

Kyle Hammond

Skye Taylor

Tatelan D. Sims

St. Amant High School:

Alex Newman

Austen Millet

Brennen Anderson

Dakota Descant

Malik Winey

Mariah Leach

Mason Elmore

Michael DiCarlo, Jr.

Samuel McCorkle

St. James High School:

Diante Blain

South Terrebonne High School:

Jace Trosclair

For more information about BASF and career opportunities in Louisiana, visit http://www.basf.us/la.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 20,000 employees in North America and had sales of $19.7 billion in 2018. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.