On any given morning at Apollo High School during the school year, you will find Mary Schmitz, a special education paraprofessional, and her team of student workers serving coffee and warm cookies at Iggy’s Coffee Shop.
“Hi, how are you doing today?” you will be asked, usually by your first name. “How can I help you?”
Customer service is a primary skill that Schmitz instills in all her students, but certainly not the only one.
“What do you need to do next?” she reminds a student who handled money at the cash register. “Wash your hands, right?”
“Iggy’s is a student-operated small business,” she explains, “where students work for class credit while learning real-life work skills.”
Student workers also learn the process of using a time clock, handwashing, stocking, ordering, cash register operation, record keeping, cleaning, deliveries, phone etiquette and teamwork.
The coffee shop opened in 2000 as a hands-on job site for DCD students and currently involves 75 student workers. Schmitz began working at Iggy’s in 2004.
“Many of our student workers have physical, cultural, mental, emotional or behavioral challenges that they deal with each day,” says Schmitz. “Iggy’s helps alleviate these challenges by allowing the entire school population opportunities to treat each other kindly and patiently.”
She adds, “Not all of our workers have challenges, however. Some students work in Iggy’s as teacher assistants, and a few others volunteer their open time to help just because they want to be productive.”
Dylan Larson is an 11th grader at Apollo who works outside of school as well as at FDC.
“I like to work by myself,” he admits. So learning patience and tolerance at Iggy’s is sometimes a challenge for him, Schmitz explains.
Luke Hummelsund, also in 11th grade, is a “worker bee.”
“My favorite part [at Iggy’s,]” he says, “is working with customers.”
His greatest challenge, Schmitz says, is remembering the steps of the job every day.
Teachers, students and DAO staff are frequent-and loyal-Iggy’s customers. Last school year alone, Iggy’s Coffee Shop served 51,887 people.
Schmitz says that all profits from Iggy’s remain entirely at Apollo High School and have helped to fund student rewards, breakfast and lunch for students in need, Random Acts of Kindness, activity fees for special education students and even scholarships.
It is clear to see with your first cup of coffee that Mary Schmitz and her entire team of student workers live the district mission every day when they come to work and create a safe and caring climate by asking, “Hi, how are you doing today?”