Intern Spotlight: Mary Horger

Mary Horger, a senior at Iowa State University, is working as a Quality Assurance Intern for Rembrandt Foods this summer. At Iowa State, Horger studies microbiology and has a minor in food safety. 

Not knowing anything about Rembrandt before applying, she found their booth at a career fair. “A lot of recruiters come to Iowa State for the career fair, and Rembrandt was at one and I turned in my resume as a long shot. I got the job from there,” said Horger.

Even without prior experience with the company, she applied for positions hoping to gain background in quality assurance going into her senior year, explaining, “My dad is in quality assurance, and this is a quality assurance internship, so I thought I would try what he does. I really wanted to do something with the food industry and microbiology, and this position offered both aspects. Other internships I was interviewing with offered one or the other. I really wanted to apply to here because eggs and microbiology go hand in hand.”

Throughout her time with the company, Horger will spend time in many plant locations but is primarily stationed in Sioux Rapids, where she will take the lead on some research projects. Additionally, she is excited to gain further direction as to what she might like to do after college. 

The work she is doing with Rembrandt also fits in well with what she is learning in the classroom. “This internship gives me hands-on experience with what I would probably be doing if I were in quality assurance or if I was a lab tech of some sorts,” said Horger. “Getting that kind of experience, having a project and following it all the way through while understanding what they do here is very beneficial. Even if I don’t necessarily work at Rembrandt in the future, I am still going to use the knowledge for other jobs.”

Her experiences so far have given her confidence that she is on the right path. “I love the state of Iowa, and I love this company. It’s very encouraging for me being in the field knowing that I like what I am going to be doing,” she said. 

Horger also wanted to encourage people to not let worries hold them back, saying, “Definitely apply. Just do it! I was kind of hesitant coming out to Western Iowa because my family is so far away, but the experience that I am getting is amazing.”  She also added, “I am learning so much, and I have met so many cool people. Everyone here is so nice,  they like what they are doing, and they like working as a team. It’s very inspiring to see how an actual company works before you get out in the real world. I would definitely recommend working for Rembrandt.”

About the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is the regional economic development agency for Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. The Iowa Lakes Corridor’s mission is to foster, encourage, promote, aid or otherwise assist in the economic development growth and development of the four-county region.