When Jonathan "Jon" Scott, a Computer Information Systems major and student veteran, runs into an obstacle, he tackles it head-on.
“In my family, the attitude was if you have a problem, don’t complain about it - start a revolution,” Jon said.
In this case, the obstacle came from a Dunkin’ drive-thru.
After recently starting to drink coffee, Jon found himself in a morning routine of dropping his wife off at work and then grabbing coffee. One morning, while waiting in line, he noticed the car ahead of him take the lid off their coffee and stir it before driving away. Moments later, he took his first sip, only to find it bitter and unmixed, with no easy way to fix it while driving.
Instead of chalking it up as a bad cup of coffee, Jon asked a bigger question: How can I solve this problem? Drawing on a background in technology and the service industry, Stir My Coffee was born.
Stir My Coffee is Jon's crowdsourced review platform aimed at improving how our favorite beverages are served. Users are able to quickly vote on whether a coffee shop made their drink correctly, and there are plans to add more features as the site develops.
Drawing on self-taught skills in technology, web development, and economics, Jon built the project from the ground up.
“A lot of this project was learning as I go, and that’s what development is,” Jon shared. “You have to just go out and start doing it.”
He's no stranger to hard work and starting from scratch. After serving in the military, Jon worked in restaurants, moving up from dishwasher to executive chef. A self-described "techie," Jon also started his own home tech support business. Each chapter has added skills that now fuel his path forward.
Jon has been fully embracing QCC life, from presenting his new venture at QCC's first WooTank pitch competition to joining Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Currently, he's preparing to transfer to SANS Technology Institute and pursue a bachelor's in cybersecurity.
“I love school. I love being challenged," Jon said. "And being an older student helps. I know I want this.”
Most importantly, he's enjoying the journey.
“The Stir My Coffee project was unexpected,” Jon said. “But it’s fun, and when you enjoy yourself, that’s when the best ideas happen.”