Numbers and notes
MINOT, N.D. – Jonelle Watson recently celebrated her 25th year as a staff member at Minot State University. She began her journey as an accounting student and worked her way to Assistant Vice President for Finance.
While she has a love for numbers, she’s recently been pursuing her musical side as well.
“I work with numbers all day. It’s not that I don’t like them. I go home and want to balance my checkbook to zero,” Watson said. “But you need something beyond that so you’re not dreaming work. I think you need variety. It’s a nice release. A nice escape. I look forward to it.”
Originally from Minot, N.D., she received her bachelors in accounting in 1992. Shortly after graduation, she found herself working in the special education media center in a secretarial position. Watson put her accounting degree to use after accepting a position at the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities (NDCPD) at Minot State.
“I became the liaison between (the NDCPD) and the business office,” Watson said
In 2000, Watson began working in the business office where she can be found now. Starting out working with grants, Watson is now the assistant vice president.
But, when she isn’t in the business office managing all things financial for the university, she spends some of her free time playing in a band called “It Was Her Idea.” The group consists of herself, her husband – retired humanities instructor Rick Watson – and three of their friends. She plays flute and the melodica, which looks like a cross between a flute and a miniature piano.
“I just had an interest in trying to play some music by ear without a piece of sheet music in front of me,” she said. “A little over a year ago, I mentioned it to my husband. He’s played guitar and sang for many years and has participated in the music scene throughout the community. It involved getting a couple other people we knew together and just making music. And that’s what we’ve been doing.”
It may seem unusual for someone whose job is to monitor numbers to avoid specific notes on a page, but that’s what she seems to enjoy most about playing music.
“I wanted to be able to hear a song on the radio, figure out what key it’s in, and start noodling around. It’s just for fun,” Watson said.
During her 25 years at Minot State, Watson has seen a few changes.
“I had a computer on my desk at the first job, but it was not something that was used much. And now I don’t work a day without using the computer,” she said.
But the most recent change in Watson’s life hasn’t been with how she does her job, but rather what she does outside of it.
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: 08/24/18 |
