Over the last few years, KAAPA has worked to cultivate a well-rounded internship program with the goal of preparing each intern to not only work proficiently in the ethanol industry, but also to gain applicable, real-world skills and knowledge. Each summer the interns spend three months learning how their respective departments work, as well as completing projects, tasks, and daily responsibilities to help KAAPA. To give the interns a better understanding of the ethanol process and how things work at the plant level, they also shadow on-site at the plant twice a week. They spend the day with one of the departments at the plant, learning how each job is essential to the ethanol process, as well as how it applies to their own position as an intern. Each year, KAAPA’s intern class continues to grow and make a lasting impact during their time in the program, taking the skills gained with them as the progress in their education and career.
Testimonies from the 2026 summer interns:
“The all-encompassing nature of this internship has taught me two very important lessons. One is to advocate for myself. By speaking up and letting my supervisors know that I am studying marketing, I was able to join and even lead several marketing and outreach efforts this summer – an opportunity I would have never gotten if I stayed quiet. The second lesson I learned was at the plant level. One of the most repeated pieces of advice I received during my time shadowing was to learn from everyone and everything. No matter the position at the company, each person had invaluable advice. Looking down on people and refusing to listen to them because of prejudice closes so many doors and shuts down countless learning opportunities.”
- Sophia Cederburg, Merchandising Intern
“This summer, I reviewed invoices and categorized safety expenses to help give transparency to KAAPA’s spending. I worked on consolidating lab supplies, finding over 75 items that were the same across all three plants.”
- Nathan Althouse, Finance Intern
“From this internship I learned that the quality of the corn coming in plays a huge role in how effective fermentation is. For example, too much mold damage could result in lower ethanol production and increased risk for infection. Keeping the plant as tidy as possible is a good way to prevent workplace injuries, and wear and tear on equipment. I also learned how involved the CO2 system can be at the ethanol plant. I learned these things by shadowing the scale house, working with the operations and safety team, and by working with the plant engineer.”
- Aiden Magnuson, Aurora Engineering Intern
“During my engineering internship, I learned how an ethanol plant operates and what plant engineering involves. My summer projects included reading P&IDs and labeling piping, flow directions, instruments, and vessels in the field, which helped me understand how ethanol and its byproducts are made. I also began projects such as automating pumps and redesigning boiler blowdown, which showed me the outsourcing and collaboration with other companies that engineers handle daily. My main takeaway was to always ask questions and not be afraid to try new things, because the more you step out of your comfort zone, the more you can learn.”
- Auggie Judd, Ravenna Engineering Intern