If you were watching Survivor: San Juan del Sur back in 2014, you probably remember the "silent treatment." It was one of the most awkward, quintessentially "real couple" moments in the history of the show. Jon Misch and Jaclyn Schultz, the college sweethearts from Michigan, were stuck in the middle of a high-stakes strategy game, and they weren't speaking. To the other players, it was a nightmare. To the viewers, it was a window into a relationship that, frankly, many didn't think would last.
But it did.
A decade later, Jaclyn and Jon Survivor fans are often surprised to find that the pair didn't just survive the island; they thrived afterward. In a reality TV landscape where showmances (or even pre-existing romances) often crumble under the weight of the spotlight, these two became a rare success story. Their journey from the beaches of Nicaragua to the quiet of suburban Michigan is a lot more complex—and frankly, a lot more moving—than what was edited for CBS.
The Power Couple That Almost Wasn't
When San Juan del Sur began, nobody pegged Jon and Jaclyn as the dominant strategic force. Jon was the outgoing, "golden boy" former Michigan State football player. Jaclyn was the quiet, stunning Miss Michigan. Early on, they were just another pair in a Blood vs. Water format.
Everything changed at the merge.
Suddenly, the game revolved around them. They were the ultimate swing votes. For weeks, they decided who stayed and who went home. It’s a position of power that usually gets people voted out immediately, but they managed to navigate the "middle" for an incredibly long time. Jon played with his heart on his sleeve—sometimes too much so—while Jaclyn often acted as the grounding force, even when the edit made her seem like she was just following his lead.
Actually, the truth was the opposite. Jaclyn was often the one sensing the social shifts. Remember when she tried to tell Jon that the guys in the alliance were ignoring her? He didn't listen initially, leading to that infamous fight. But once they got back on the same page, they were a juggernaut.
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Eventually, the game caught up to them. Jon was blindsided in 6th place with an idol in his pocket—a classic Survivor blunder. Jaclyn, however, fought her way to the Final Three. She finished as the runner-up to the legendary Natalie Anderson. She didn't win the million, but she won a lot of respect for her resilience after her partner was sent to the jury.
Life After the Island: A Different Kind of Survival
The "real world" proved to be a much tougher challenge than the Coyote tribe ever was. Shortly after the show, Jon and Jaclyn got married in a beautiful ceremony in Detroit in August 2015. Many of their castmates, including Natalie, were there to celebrate. But while their marriage was strong, their dream of starting a family was met with a massive hurdle.
Jaclyn has been incredibly open about being born with MRKH syndrome (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser). This means she was born without a uterus.
While she knew this long before Survivor, the couple's journey to parenthood became a public saga of resilience. They didn't just "try for a baby." They navigated the grueling world of IVF and surrogacy. It wasn't a straight line. There was a devastating loss along the way—a 20-week stillbirth with a gestational surrogate that nearly broke them.
Honestly, most couples would have folded.
But in 2022, they finally welcomed their son, Logan, via a gestational surrogate (who happened to be Jon’s cousin). It was a full-circle moment for a couple that millions of people had watched bicker over a reward challenge years prior. Seeing them as parents in 2026, it’s clear that the "survivor" label applies to much more than just a TV show.
Where Are They Now in 2026?
They aren't chasing the reality TV dragon. Unlike some alumni who hop from The Challenge to Big Brother, Jon and Jaclyn returned to Michigan to build "normal" lives. Jon pursued a career in dentistry, and Jaclyn has stayed active in advocacy, using her platform to bring awareness to MRKH and infertility.
They still keep in touch with the Survivor community, but their focus is clearly on their family. They’ve proven that the bond formed (or tested) on the show was the real deal. People used to call them "boring" or "dramatic" during their season, but looking back, they were just human. They were a real couple dealing with hunger, sleep deprivation, and $1 million on the line.
Lessons from the Misch-Schultz Playbook
If you’re a fan of the show or just interested in how these reality relationships actually work, there are a few takeaways from their decade-plus together:
- Communication is messy. That silent treatment on the island? It was a disaster for their game, but it was an honest reflection of how couples fight when they're exhausted. They learned to fix it.
- The "Edit" isn't the whole person. Jaclyn was often portrayed as "Jon's girlfriend," but her solo run to the finale showed she had her own backbone. Post-show, her advocacy work has defined her far more than her bikini ever did.
- Resilience matters more than a win. They lost the game, they lost a pregnancy, but they didn't lose each other.
If you want to keep up with them today, Jaclyn is quite active on Instagram, where she shares the unvarnished reality of motherhood and her continued work with the Beautiful You MRKH Foundation.
For those looking to support or learn more about the causes they champion, you can look into the Beautiful You MRKH Foundation. It’s a great resource for understanding the condition Jaclyn has spent years de-stigmatizing. Whether you remember them for the blindsides or the bickering, there’s no denying they are one of the most authentic pairs to ever play the game.