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Countdown to Commencement: Meet Undergraduate Jonathan Jones

As part of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business Countdown to Commencement series, we interviewed a few soon-to-be graduates from our Undergraduate program to learn about their backgrounds, why they chose Scheller, and what they plan to do after the Fall 2020 commencement. Meet Jonathan Jones.
Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Jones

As part of the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business Countdown to Commencement series, we interviewed a few soon-to-be graduates from our Undergraduate program to learn about their backgrounds, why they chose Scheller, and what they plan to do after the Fall 2020 commencement.

Meet Jonathan Jones who is a fourth-year student graduating in December with a strategy and innovation concentration.

Where are you from?

I’m from Kennesaw, Georgia.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college?

I have always been interested in pursuing a business degree since I was very young. Ultimately, I think the credit goes to my parents for introducing me to Monopoly as a child.

Why did you choose Scheller College of Business?

I wanted to attend a business school where I could work with start-ups and corporations while still in school. With Georgia Tech being in Atlanta, I was able to do that easily.

What concentration did you pursue and why? How has this helped prepare you for your future?

My concentration is Strategy and Innovation (S&I). I wanted to go into brand management after taking Professor Buchanan and Dr. Lowe’s marketing classes and I felt by concentrating in S&I I could give myself an edge against other people applying for those roles. However, by the time I started taking my S&I courses, I pivoted towards wanting to go into consulting / business management.

Where did you intern/co-op during school?

I interned at Invisa-RED, Disney, and The Home Depot.

Where will you be working after graduation?

I’ll be working at Invisa-RED Technology.

Who was your favorite professor (and why)?

Professor Laurina Zhang. Her Corporate Strategy class was very helpful in shaping how I looked at business cases. She also helped me prepare for multiple interviews throughout my time at Scheller!

What was your favorite course (and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it)?

Dr. Fuller Capsim’s Integrative Management Capstone course. I absolutely loved being able to take what I had learned from my other business courses and apply it to the “Widgets” business I created while competing with my other classmates to see who could form the best company. During that course we had to devote time to all aspects of business including marketing, forecasting, financial management, R&D, etc. My biggest takeaway from that course was learning all of the things that go into making a successful business.

As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?

I think Scheller is right in the center of where business and technology meet with our connection to all of the nearby startup labs and startup companies throughout Atlanta. There is plenty of opportunity! For example, I have been working with an engineering PhD student through Dr. Giuliano’s TI:GER program to help him develop a commercialization plan for a medical device he is developing.

What activities were you involved with on or off campus, and did your business education impact those activities in any way?

I was president of the Scheller Student Development Board and I believe my business education helped me when speaking and connecting with donors.

How did the Scheller College undergraduate career education program assist you with your job efforts? Did you end up working or interning for one of your top choice companies?

Brandon Lay was very helpful in connecting me with the Student Development Board and making me aware of student organizations that I could be involved in. On the career side, My GT 1000 and MGT 3599 classes with Shawn (Dommer), Michael (Dutcher), and Stan (Broome) helped prepare me for interviews for my internships with The Home Depot (my first choice that summer) and Disney, as well as job negotiations for my full-time role with invisa-RED.

Did you participate in any hands-on/experiential learning opportunities? If yes, which projects/companies did you work with and how did you help them?

Yes, multiple times. My two favorites were Sustainable Business practicum with Michael Oxman where my group worked with Accenture consultants to help evaluate the programs offered by America’s Remanufacturing Company. In my Marketing Management class with Dr. Lowe, my group and I developed a mock marketing campaign for Adidas centered around Georgia Tech’s upcoming partnership with the company. We even got to make cool Adidas Peach Shirts!

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller College?

Apply early! I applied late and missed out on applying as a Dean's Scholar.

What is the biggest myth about Scheller College?

That it is easy. I found the classes at Scheller to be very challenging as our professors often challenged our ways of thinking and pushed us to use logic for problem solving – yet I enjoyed every bit of it! (well - except for accounting).

Fun fact about yourself:

My first job was as a gymnastics coach at Gymnastics Academy of Atlanta.

If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be a....

I’d be a history, technology and society major (HTS). I absolutely loved the HTS classes I took freshman year and very briefly thought about switching my major to HTS with hopes of going to law school after undergraduate school.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

To watch a baseball game at every stadium in Major League Baseball (MLB) and to watch in person when the Atlanta Braves win the World Series.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you?

Hard-working and determined.

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