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BASF recently concluded its annual summer internship program in Southeast Texas, where five students joined the BASF TotalEnergies Petrochemicals site in Port Arthur, and four students worked at the BASF Beaumont site.

Working side-by-side with employees on engineering projects, interns combined their classroom knowledge and contributed to the productivity and performance of both BASF sites.

“We exposed our interns to differing technical areas that helped them narrow their focus in the field, and at the same time potentially increased our future talent pool,” said John Lycan, Site General Manager and Vice President of Operations for BASF in Port Arthur. “Their contributions were significant, and they’ll go back to their universities with an enthusiasm for engineering and a better understanding of the company’s role in creating great chemistry.”

Interns selected to work at the Port Arthur site were Melody Youwakim, Mallory Lisle, Emily Steinhagen, Jessica Ledwith and Daniel Houston.

Interns at the Beaumont site are Angelica White, Hayden McLeroy, Arturo Gonzalez and Ryan Deutsch.

All interns are Lamar University students except for Steinhagen, who attends Louisiana State University.

Interns at the BASF site in Beaumont assisted plant operations projects ranging from monitoring process conditions and product yields, to observing maintenance and utility operations and overseeing the use of process equipment.

“Coming into the internship I was both thrilled and nervous at the same time, and I was beyond excited to finally apply what I’d been learning in school to solving real world situations,” said Arturo Gonzalez, Process Engineering Intern, Beaumont.

“BASF has been extremely welcoming and helpful every step of the way from assisting with projects to checking in every once in a while, to make sure we’re doing fine.”

A few miles away in Port Arthur, the interns focused their efforts on optimization of equipment and unit performance around the site, monitoring performance indicators, and supporting environmental, health & safety programs.

“My biggest takeaway this summer has been working with the Operations Engineers; they’re all so passionate about their units and learning as much as they can to do their job optimally,” said Melody Youwakim, Operations Engineering Intern, Port Arthur. “I’ve learned so much from the engineers and operators, and the practical experience I got here is invaluable in comparison to my university education.”