New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
March 3, 2016
BASF, the American Soybean Association (ASA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) presented scholarships to future leaders who share a passion and motivation for advancing the industry at the 2016 Commodity Classic tradeshow in New Orleans. The scholarships assist promising individuals with their future agriculture academic endeavors.
“Fostering a successful, sustainable future for agriculture is the catalyst behind BASF’s Crop Protection business,” said Paul Rea, Senior Vice President, Crop Protection, North America, BASF. “The future starts with bright minds, and helping young individuals venture toward a career in agriculture is important to BASF.”
American Soybean Association Scholarship
For the 10th year in a row, BASF and ASA teamed to present the ASA Secure Optimal Yield (SOY) Scholarship. The 2016-2017 SOY Scholarship is a $5,000 award presented to an exceptional high school senior who achieved success in both academics and leadership roles. Students applying for the ASA SOY Scholarship must plan to pursue a degree in an agriculture-related field at an accredited college or university.
Kara Berrey of Carrollton, Missouri, was named the scholarship recipient. She will pursue a bachelor’s degree, and eventually a master’s degree, in agriculture education at Missouri State University.
“ASA is proud of the young men and women who we have endowed with a SOY scholarship thanks to the long-standing support and partnership of BASF,” said Richard Wilkins, President of ASA. “This year’s winner, Kara Berrey, is an impressive young person with a strong desire to share her passion for agriculture with others along with a solid academic background. We’re excited to play a part in helping her achieve her dreams, and look forward to the impact she is going to make in our industry. Agriculture needs strong leaders to continue to innovate and preserve our industry. Kara, along with our past scholarship winners, allow our industry to see the hope our future holds.”
National Corn Growers Association Scholarships
This year also marks a decade of partnership between BASF and NCGA to provide the William C. Berg Academic Excellence in Agriculture scholarships to outstanding undergraduate or graduate students pursuing degrees in agriculture.
“NCGA is pleased to partner with BASF to offer this scholarship opportunity to another crop of outstanding students,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling, a corn grower from Newberg, Maryland. “Our legacy depends on encouraging the next generation to embark on careers in agriculture.”
The program awarded scholarships of $1,000 each to the following students:
- Andrew Lauver of Rockwell City, Iowa – a graduate student studying agribusiness at Kansas State University.
- Bethany Mordhorst of Ute, Iowa – a graduate student studying animal science at the University of Missouri.
- Breanne Brammer of Gallatin, Missouri – a graduate student studying agriculture education at the University of Missouri.
- Katie Peterson of Grove City, Minnesota – a sophomore studying political science at Gustavus Adolphus College.
- Leah Schwinn of New London, Ohio – a junior studying agricultural communications and human and animal interactions at The Ohio State University.
National Wheat Foundation Scholarships
In its fourth year, the Jerry Minore Memorial Scholarship honors both high school and college students who demonstrate success and motivation inside and outside the classroom. As a Senior Market Manager for BASF, Minore was a liaison to the wheat industry, including the NAWG and the NWF. A true advocate for wheat growers, Minore passed away unexpectedly in February 2012. To serve as a continued honor of his advocacy for the wheat industry, BASF partners with NWF to fund the scholarships. A total of four students received a $1,000 or $1,500 scholarship. Recipients of the Jerry Minore Memorial Scholarship must be dedicated toward a career in the agriculture industry.
“It’s inspiring to see young people interested in their education and in agriculture,” said NAWG Chairman Dusty Tallman, wheat grower from Colorado. “The National Wheat Foundation is grateful to BASF for helping make this possible. We are extremely pleased to present this year’s recipients with the Jerry Minore memorial scholarship, knowing that our industry will be positively impacted because of their dedication to it.”
Recipients of the NWF Jerry Minore Memorial Scholarship include:
With this decade milestone reached, BASF, the ASA, NCGA and NWF share the continued goal of supporting young leaders in agriculture to build a sustainable talent base in the industry for years to come. For more information about the industry initiatives BASF supports or the BASF Crop Protection portfolio of products, visit http://agproducts.basf.us/, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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