Abby Berger

St. Louis, Mo. May 20, 2022. Abby Berger of Jonesboro, Arkansas, is the recipient of the 2022-23 Soy Scholarship award, sponsored by BASF and the American Soybean Association (ASA).

The ASA/BASF Soy Scholarship is a $5,000 award presented to an exceptional high school senior who excels in academics and in leadership roles and who plans to pursue a degree in an agriculture-related field at an accredited college or university. The scholarship is open to children and grandchildren of ASA members.

"ASA is thankful to once again partner with BASF and offer this opportunity to an exceptional student pursuing a career in ag,” said ASA President Brad Doyle. "It’s important to encourage young people who are interested in agriculture and provide them with tools to help them succeed. ASA and BASF are pleased to support students for their hard work and help the next generation achieve its goals."

Berger has been involved in agriculture through the Poinsett County Farm Bureau office, as well as Arkansas Farm Bureau and Arkansas Rice. She served in various leadership roles, including student ambassador and student government representative, student representative for an area COVID-19 Work Group, student body vice president and other roles. She has participated in numerous school groups, including the botany, zoology, and Spanish clubs, National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America.

Described as ambitious by her peers and mentors, Berger says she would like to influence new policies that will advocate best for farmers. She plans to pursue graduate level studies after college and would like to analyze the intersection of the chemical composition and nutrition of soybeans and their performance with foraging wildlife. In her scholarship essay, Abby notes that she plans to expand upon her research of forage soybeans and their viability for cattle grazing.

“BASF is thrilled to help recognize the early endeavors of this budding leader in ag,” said Scott Kay, vice president, U.S. Crop, BASF Agricultural Solutions North America. “Abby’s ambitions to advocate for the growers currently feeding the world are key to the future of this industry. We need not only more thinkers but also more doers who will help propel the future of ag to be a more sustainable one.”