When the school year comes to a close at Cornell, a large majority of the College’s student body travels back home for the summer. This can cause struggles for local Mount Vernon businesses.
According to Cornell Senior Director of Development Lisa White, around 70% of Cornell’s undergraduate population are from outside Iowa. This can cause a large amount of turnover for local businesses, such as Fuel Art and Espresso and Gary’s Foods – two places that employ a handful of Cornell students during the school year.
On top of this, these types of businesses thrive off the seasonal influx in population in Mount Vernon when school is in session at Cornell.
“Gary’s Foods, they indicated Cornell as a huge customer of theirs because students can walk there,” Jessie Thurn, Mount Vernon-Lisbon community development group (MVLCDG) executive director, said.
Gary’s Foods, a grocery store in Mount Vernon, has been serving Cornell students, the Lisbon, Mount Vernon population and the surrounding communities since 1971.
Fuel Art and Espresso Manager, Tommie Ouverson, acknowledges the role that Cornell students have played in the longevity of the coffee shop.
“Students breathe life into the shop every day. They bring a diverse culture, they’re inquisitive and lively, they consistently remark on Fuel being a home away from home and in return, make themselves at home, and are a key component in Fuel’s 21-year success,” she wrote in an email.
When summertime rolls around, this becomes the hardest time of year for businesses like these.
“Summer is definitely interesting, because it’s a slower time in terms of population here…businesses do see a downward spike in their sales,” Thurn said.
Cornell Fosters the Identity of Community Spirit
Dating back more than 60 years, White, recalls how alumni have mentioned that sporting events at the college always brought a crowd from the community.
“In particular, 50s, 60s…for instance, everybody in the town showed up to a football game or a wrestling meet,” White said.
Sporting events might not bring such a crowd in today’s day and age, but Cornell College and its students continue to play a huge role in bringing community members together.
Cornell students have played a large part in Mount Vernon’s Chili Cookoff, which celebrated its 19th year last November.
Students are willing volunteers to help set up this staple of an event that is one of the most popular gatherings in town.
“We’ll call up the baseball coach and say, ‘Can you send the team up to help us to set up the tents and tables, and they’re up at 8am with us doing that. They’re incredibly supportive of the initiatives of the community,” Naomi Winder, Cornell director of alumni and donor relations, said.
Not only do students put in the work to get the event up and running, they also bring the heat by participating as cooks.
“The women’s basketball team won the chili cook off a few years ago, two years in a row,” Winder said.
Cornell Students Connecting with the Mount Vernon Youth
Another way Cornell students help shape the community spirit identity of Mount Vernon is through the Lunch Buddies program.
Lunch Buddies is a “pen pal” type of system, where Cornell students are paired up with a student from the local elementary school in town, Washington Elementary.
According to the Cornell College website, 56 Cornell Lunch Buddy students were paired with 64 third graders from the school in the 2024-2025 school year.
On a recurring basis, the college students will go to the elementary school to eat lunch with their buddy. While other times the elementary school students will be invited to visit their college companion on Cornell’s campus.
Lunch Buddies has fostered connections between students and children in the community that has gone well beyond their time in the program.
“I know people whose kids are now 30 years old, who are still in touch with their lunch buddy,” said White.
Throughout the years, whether it be bridging the College and the town together through sporting events, chili cookoffs, and the Lunch Buddies program, or being a consistent supporter of local businesses in the community. Cornell College plays a big role in the economy and the overall identity of Mount Vernon, making it a place that many are proud to call home.
“Mount Vernon could exist without the College. The College could exist without Mount Vernon, but neither of them would be what they are without the other, Mount Vernon wouldn’t be the destination that is without the College,” Winder said.
