SENECA, SC, Nov. 21, 2022 – BASF in Seneca awarded a $2,500 scholarship to U.S. Marine Corps and Iraq War veteran and Clemson University student Karinna Thompson at Clemson University’s 29th Annual Military Appreciation Day, sponsored by BASF.
This is the second year that BASF’s site in Seneca has sponsored Clemson’s Military Appreciation Day football game and the second time BASF has awarded a veteran scholarship or money to a local organization that supports those who have served in the military, demonstrating its commitment to supporting veterans of the Upstate and their families.
During her eight years in the Marines, Thompson deployed to Iraq on the USS Bonhomme Richard in support of Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom, then to the Kuwaiti Air Force Base, and later spent time in the Sunni Triangle in Iraq. She served in the Marines as an aviation ordinance technician for more than eight years and reached the rank of Sergeant before transitioning into civilian life. Thompson is now a junior working toward a dual degree in geology and hydrogeology, and BASF’s scholarship will support her studies.
“We are grateful for Karinna’s dedicated service to our country, and we’re also thrilled to support her as she pursues her degree and her dreams,” said BASF Seneca Site Director Elba Lizardi. “Our veterans are an integral part of our community here, of our employee workforce, and of the very freedom we enjoy today. BASF is dedicated to celebrating veterans, acknowledging their sacrifices and to helping them pursue future career opportunities.”
During the Military Appreciation Day game, Captain Nathaniel Horton surprised his family with an early homecoming from a deployment to the Middle East.
Clemson University graduates who were POW or MIA were recognized during halftime through the Missing Man Table ceremony. Clemson University offensive linebacker Will Putnam (#56) led the Tiger football team onto the field while waving the American flag and joined his father, Colonel Neil Putnam, on the field where he was honored for 30 years of military service, 24 of which were as a member of the Green Berets.
Military Appreciation Day at Clemson University is a way to recognize the sacrifices and service of those who are serving or have served in the military and their families across South Carolina and around the world. Military Appreciation Day last year was also sponsored by BASF and concluded with a donation to Purple Heart Homes, which provides housing solutions for service-connected disabled and aging veterans. BASF’s site in Seneca will sponsor Clemson University’s 2023 Military Appreciation Day, and in the meantime continues to work with the Oconee Veterans Affairs Office, Purple Heart Homes and the Keowee Key Community Partnership on additional initiatives to support veterans.
About BASF in Seneca
BASF is currently hiring. Hourly compensation starts at $21.50/hour and increases with experience. For more information, visit www.basf.us/careers. BASF’s site in Seneca is one of five BASF sites in South Carolina. The Seneca site employs 425 employees and additional contractors. This site is a specialty chemical catalysts manufacturing and precious metal refining facility. BASF customers use those products to produce a wide variety of products including pharmaceuticals, water treatment media for the removal of lead, arsenic and other impurities from drinking water, for fertilizers, herbicides, auto-emission catalysts, plastics, fragrances and more.
About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,700 employees in North America and had sales of $25.9 billion in 2021. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €78.6 billion in 2021. 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.
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