Minot State University
04/11/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/11/2024 16:41
Nicholls: ‘People don’t join things; people join people’
By Emma Cornejo
University Communications Student Assistant
MINOT, N.D. - Jamie Nicholls was welcomed to the Minot State University staff this year as the Residence Life Coordinator.
Nicholls, however, is not from this area. She was raised in a town in Michigan and attended university nearby.
"I came to MSU this past August from Beverly Hills, Michigan, not California; sorry, it is not as exciting. I am about 30 minutes outside of Detroit - go Lions - so I come from a very vibrant and lively area. So, coming from a place like that where I lived all my life to Minot was a bit of a change of pace, for sure," Nicholls said.
She earned a degree in sociology with a concentration in women and gender studies from Adrian College in 2023. Nicholls was first recruited to play soccer for Adrian, but after the pre-season, she felt she should focus more on her schoolwork, clubs, and being a part of her sorority.
"It would be impossible for me to talk about my college experience without talking about my sorority. The friendships I made and the growth I experienced because of it could not be emphasized enough," Nicholls said.
After the rigorous coursework and extracurriculars that came in her first year, Nicholls decided to take a gap year the following year to truly decide what she wanted to do and find dedication in the field. This perfectly lined up with the COVID-19 pandemic and did not negatively impact her college journey. She was able to return refreshed and ready to finish her bachelor's in sociology.
"Sociology took me a while to find, considering I declared four other majors before settling down with it, but I absolutely loved it from beginning to end," she said. "I love learning about people and societies and then crack down on different social norms and cultural expectations.
"I think bringing this into MSU was so interesting because North Dakota is a place I have never been to, and here at the school, there are so many different people to interact with. I love engaging with the international population and the ability to mix cultures and see how other people live their lives."
Coming to MSU was a huge step in her life and career, and she was able to make a bright addition to her views on sociology and how we all view life differently. However, coming to North Dakota was not something she expected.
"I got brought to Minot State on a whim, honestly. After graduating college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and all I knew was that I was so sad to leave college because of how amazing of an experience I had," Nicholls said. "I gathered my search across the whole country for a job! I did not have a particular location in mind, as my job search consisted of most of the 50 states, but I do not think I expected to end up in North Dakota. I am pretty sure I shocked my whole family when telling them I landed a job in Minot, North Dakota."
Being a part of residence life was also not her goal while in college, throughout her education, she found it later. She now realizes how much of an impact it made on her as a student and the opportunity she had in her new position to support other students.
"All I knew was that I loved college, so I figured why not try and make sure the next generation of students has a great experience, too? I investigated residence life, student activities, Greek life, and diversity and inclusion positions across the nation," she said. "I stayed in two dorm halls, my on-campus sorority house, and in one of the on-campus apartments; each of them helped me find appreciation and understanding for different living styles. Residence life is a great way to stay engaged on campus, and it helps foster community so much within each of the residence halls."
Nicholls has grown to greatly appreciate being able to support the students and staff around her. The tight-knit community of people that she surrounds herself in at MSU, fosters all her favorite things that she brought from home and builds upon here.
"At Minot State, I absolutely love the people. Something I learned as the VP of recruitment in my sorority was the phrase, 'people don't join things; people join people,' and that still rings so true in adult life past college," she said. "One of the reasons I chose to take a chance on North Dakota was because interviewing for this position got me to meet the people I would be working with every day, and I was very, very pleased with that. It is one thing to love what you do, but it is an entirely different blessing to love who you do it with. I love the staff that I get to be surrounded with that are in different departments, as well; their different perspectives on things keep me fresh."
While she is fond of her new co-workers, her experience with Minot State students is leaving a lasting impression.
"I also would not be able to articulate how much I love Minot State without addressing the students themselves," Nicholls said. "The student staff I work with completely make my day whenever they stop by my office and talk to me, invite me to one of their hall events, or ask to do more staff bonding because they want to hang out and have fun together. These students make my job so much easier simply by having a good attitude and welcoming me in as their supervisor.
"If people join people, then I did not just join MSU; I joined the Beaver community."
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 04/11/24