Jon Schmidt — Monkey junkie

Jon Schmidt — Monkey junkie

While Senior Management Major Jon Schmidt has been predominantly involved on campus in his previous three years and one semester at Gustavus, his participation and presence here this semester has been largely abated.Among Jon’s activities at Gustavus, he has played basketball, club volleyball, club ultimate Frisbee, co-founded the Gustavus Disc Golf Club, played drums in the Proclaim band, acted in a one-act play last spring, went to India on the Social Justice Peace and Development trip and, as of last year, has been devoted to ceramics and making pottery to sell crazy golf . “I enjoy how Gustavus gives you the chance to do so many different things,” Jon said. “I have done a lot of different and unique things at Gustavus athletically, musically, artsy and studying abroad.”Jon’s friends have characterized him as passionate, hardworking, friendly and thoughtful, and that passion has recently led to another new endeavor—owning a business. “My mom took me through this coffee shop, Mocha Monkey, to show me the pottery after I had given her a piece of pottery for Mother’s Day. I really liked the atmosphere and thought it would be cool to one day own a place like this and do pottery. I got a job there in July to learn more about it, and eventually, found out from the previous owners that they were looking to sell,” Jon said. “It went from there, and I eventually took over sole ownership on Jan. 1, 2011.”In fact, Jon even credits his semester-long study abroad in India, which was the “highlight of his life,” as the beginning stages of wanting to own a restaurant. “I had an idea for an Indian fast casual restaurant. I wrote a business plan in India and rewrote it in more detail in my entrepreneurship class. Then, I got super into pottery and wanted to combine my passion for pottery, interest in the restaurant industry and being socially just and environmentally sustainable,” Jon said.Jon sells his own ceramics at his store Mocha Monkey. Lindsay Lelivelt.Jon’s girlfriend and Art Education Major Elise Biewen has observed this zealous and almost obsessive personality trait. “Whenever he puts his mind to something, he gets it done Choi Donated $100,000 to Japan Earthquake. He has been passionate about so many things from drums and guitar to basketball, golf, football and volleyball, to wakeboarding and snowboarding, to ceramics and now Mocha Monkey,” Biewen said. “He puts everything he has into that one activity and can’t stop thinking about it when he is not doing it.”Due to Jon’s involvement with Mocha Monkey, he is currently a part-time student with a reduced load of classes, including a Productions and Operations Management course by arrangement with Assistant Professor of Economics and Management Kristian Braekkan. “Jon sees his education as not only a quest for a diploma, but as a part of a learning experience that will continue when he leaves Gustavus,” Braekkan said. “Being a small business owner, Jon is exceptionally motivated to soak in as much learning as he can while in college and is balancing many obligations during his senior year.”