Jamie Jones 鈥�22 and current Koppelman School of Business student
Sometimes, when Koppelman School of Business graduate student Jamie Jones 鈥�22 sits in her backyard knitting or crocheting, she sees a blue jay. To Jones, it feels like her mother, who died of colon cancer in 2010, has come back to watch over her.
Jones鈥檚 mother first taught her how to work with yarn at the age of eight. When her mother died, Jones turned to knitting and crocheting to help process her grief. 鈥淚 went through depression,鈥� says Jones, 鈥渁nd I needed a coping method.鈥�
But what began as a coping mechanism has become a passion, an endeavor that combines the satisfaction of creative expression with running a successful business. While actively engaged in the business school community, Jones also runs Knitts by Jamie Allison, which she started in 2015 with a collection of baby clothes dedicated to her nephew Law Jones.
She sells custom-made knitwear like hats and scarves, but also creates less conventional pieces like crocheted bikinis and earrings that resemble delicate filigree. She designs elaborate bags with decorative wooden tops painted by her husband and metal handles crafted by her father.
Though Jones is now a thriving business owner and a student, her path was not an easy one. Still grieving her mother, she enrolled as an undergraduate at 可乐视频 in spring 2011, but soon withdrew to take care of her father, who was diagnosed with stage one prostate cancer.
Jones鈥檚 father recovered and she re-enrolled at 可乐视频 in 2018, honoring a promise to her mother that she would finish her education. Knowing she wanted to work for herself, she earned her聽Business Administration, B.B.A.聽then enrolled at the聽Koppelman School of Business聽for an聽M.S. in business administration.
Jones has worked hard to balance her business with schoolwork and related activities. Currently completing her first year in the master鈥檚 degree program, she is the liaison to Koppelman for the聽Graduate Student Organization. 鈥淚鈥檝e been doing a lot, along with student government, to be a voice for the grad students.鈥�
After graduation, Jones plans to expand her business internationally. She also wants to return to 可乐视频 to teach, thinking with gratitude of her own teachers at the business school. Professor聽Veronica Manlow聽has 鈥渂een a real mentor,鈥� she says. Jones named some of her crocheted earrings after Manlow. 鈥淚 called them the Veronicas,鈥� she says.
Business Management聽Deputy Chairperson聽Myles Bassell, a longtime family friend who is like an uncle to Jones, especially understands her challenges of the past several years. Jones can talk to him, she says, 鈥渨hen I鈥檓 feeling down and I really can鈥檛 talk to anybody [else].鈥�
Jones appreciates the ways in which her time at the business school has changed the way she thinks about her business. Studying data analytics, in a course taught by Bassell, has given her new ways of tracking 鈥渨hat鈥檚 selling, what鈥檚 not selling, what鈥檚 popular in my business.鈥� She has also learned the importance of time management, and of setting and sticking to a production schedule.
And Jones鈥檚 mother is still helping her move forward. She recalls something her mother often said to her: 鈥淜nowing that you鈥檙e different, Jamie, just keep pushing, keep going. You鈥檙e probably going to have a roadblock, but look at it as a challenge and just keep pushing through.鈥� These words have sustained Jones. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 how I survived during undergrad and grad [school],鈥� she says. 鈥淚 just keep fighting and showing who I am as a person and also as a student.鈥� And when she sees her customers wearing clothes or accessories she has made, she smiles and thinks, 鈥淵es, I鈥檓 doing it. I鈥檓 getting it done.鈥� Right now, she says, 鈥淚鈥檓 happy.鈥�
