Twenty high school seniors chosen from across North America attended BASF’s Science Academy. The challenging two-week residential program combines the worlds of chemistry and marketing and was held at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in Florham Park, NJ. Program participants used BASF’s chemistry to formulate personal care products. They then developed and delivered a marketing strategy to BASF executives and FDU academic leaders. The goal was to promote the product to their target audience through research and planning. By the end of Science Academy, the 20 high school seniors transformed ideas into practical products. Meet the students!
“Coming to BASF’s Science Academy was a great step in the direction of a future in STEM,” said Aishwarya Ramaswami, rising senior at Anthony Wayne High School. “I experienced a lot of hands-on time in the lab and that is an important aspect that most students don’t get very often.”
“My favorite part of Science Academy was meeting people from all over the country and other parts of North America,” said Alejandro Borrego, rising senior at University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. “My goal for Science Academy was to deepen my education in STEM and learn how to market a product.
“Science Academy was a great place to meet new people and have new experiences,” said Anas Chouai, rising senior at Brazoswood High School. “My goal for Science Academy was to pursue my passion for STEM and discover the unknown.
“Science Academy is demanding but, at the same time, rewarding,’ said Angelica Ramirez, rising senior at STEM School Chattanooga. “It is a lot of working together with people that you don’t know at first, but when your product turns out exactly how you wanted it to, it’s the most amazing experience.”
“Through Science Academy, I learned more about a future in STEM. I am really interested in that as a career path,” said Emily Stein, rising senior at Sun Valley High School. “When I grow up I want to be some sort of engineer, probably a chemical engineer, so this program was perfect.”
“In Puerto Rico, I have not been exposed to advanced science instruments,” said German Cuevas Prieto, rising senior at Colegio Evangelico Del Nazavevo. “It was fun to learn how to use these tools. Every time we made our personal care product, I learned how to use them. “
“At BASF’s Science Academy, I learned a lot of chemistry and how to socialize with different people,” said Gabriela Giselle Bonilla Gomez, rising senior at Universidad Tecmilenio. “My favorite part of Science academy was the people and the laughs.
“The biggest lesson I learned at Science Academy was how to work with a big group of different people, adapt to diversity, learn how to be on my own, and how to better manage my time,” said Halle Dantzler, rising senior at Washington County High School.
“Science Academy gave me more open lab experience than I expected,” said Hiba Hasan, rising senior at Dutchtown High School. “If I decide to become a chemist, I can take this knowledge that I’ve learned at Science Academy from the professionals and use it in real life.”
“My goal for Science Academy was to learn more about the marketing aspect,” said Isha Shah, rising senior at Fort Mill High School. “I haven’t been exposed to that in my classrooms and I was excited to learn more.
“After attending Science Academy, I am most definitely interested in pursuing a career in STEM,” said Lillian Settles, rising senior at Roosevelt High School. “My favorite part of working in chemistry is understanding how everything works. You can really break it down on a molecular level and figure out how things work.”
“I learned that chemistry is trial and error,” said Nicholas Parra, rising senior at Winston Churchill High School. “My favorite part of BASF’s Science Academy was the ability to learn things that you would not be able to learn otherwise in high school, which really gives you the chance to get ahead.”
“I learned a lot about chemistry and science in general, but also the importance of cooperation and how to work well with other people in achieving a goal,” said Patrick Flynn, rising senior at Jefferson Township High School.
“Collaborating with people from all over North America is a breath of fresh air,” said Prince Fodeke, rising senior at Lowndes High School. “I come from a small town in Georgia where I do not get to meet a lot of new people but coming here and working with all of these different students is really an enriching experience and a new way to learn.”
“Science Academy has given me the opportunity to learn about things that I wouldn’t have in school or even in extracurriculars,” said Rohit Mital, rising senior at Rochester Adams High School. “Through Science Academy, I have formed a network of peers from my class, BASF and FDU.”
“I plan on pursuing a career in pharmaceuticals because it incorporates a lot of chemistry,” said Ryan Hack, rising senior at Ralston Valley High School. “Science Academy was a great opportunity to get laboratory experience as well as some experience with both the chemical and marketing sides of the industry.”
“My favorite part of Science Academy was going to Loantaka Brook to collect water samples because it allowed me to see applications of chemistry in the real world,” said Sheetal Bangalore, rising senior at Morristown High School.
“I came to BASF’s Science Academy because I intend to pursue a career in STEM, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. This experience has really cleared it up for me,” said Sophia Winger, rising senior at St. Thomas More Academy.
“My favorite part of Science Academy was combining both science and marketing aspects,” said Theo Coughlin, rising senior at Delbarton. “I am definitely interested in a career in STEM because I want to discover new ways to innovate our world to make it better for other people.”
“BASF’s Science Academy was a challenging but fun experience,” said Valentina Sanchez, rising senior at St. Elizabeth Catholic High School. “I was able to gain exposure to college level chemistry labs which I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do in high school.”
