July 18, 2025

Colfax native works at REG as summer intern

By Dustin Teays

Kevin Parker, of Colfax, has started at REG as one of its summer intern. He will work with them over a 12-week period. (Submitted Photo)

The Renewable Energy Group (REG) in Newton welcomed its summer interns who will be going through a 12-week program and learning plenty along the way, completing various tasks including a summer-long project.

One of those summer interns includes Colfax native Kevin Parker, who will be interning with the construction engineering department with REG in Newton. Parker is currently studying mechanical engineering at Iowa State University and will be a senior this fall.

“One of my friends ... He actually interned at REG this last summer. When I was job searching he told me about them and he said that they had a really good engineering team,” Parker said.

The internship began May 18 and has since been carried out through virtual means, but Parker has been tasked with completing a project throughout the summer. His project deals with various construction software and how to use them effectively and more efficiently.

“I hope to gain understanding of how bio diesel and renewable diesel plants come together and what it takes to design and build one,” Parker said.

As far as the internship, Parker hopes to learn a lot during his time with REG and as he moves forward in his time at Iowa State he will remember his time with REG. He also would potentially like to call that somewhere to work, and he is excited for the internship opportunity.

“The people I interviewed with were awesome ... I was really happy that I was selected,” Parker said.

Of course, with the coronavirus pandemic conducting things like internships has become more difficult. REG was able to overcome that obstacle as well as those who will be participating in the internship over the next 12 weeks with REG.

“We are so pleased to be able to host these interns and provide this job experience for them despite everything that is going on,” Jeff Staton, executive director of human resources at REG, said. “There was a period of time where we were uncertain how we would manage the program,but thankfully we have an outstanding group of students working for us who have shown to be extremely adaptable and resilient to the circumstances they are facing.”

Contact Dustin Teays at
641-792-3121 ext. 6533
or dteays@newtondailynews.com