Council creates the intangible
RICHLAND, WA – Don’t tell Jamie Council ’14 she kicks like a girl.
“I try to take that out of the equation because in all honesty, a lot of times as females we put ourselves in a box and be like, oh, I’m doing good for a female,” she said. “I try to put myself on the same level as what my male counterparts are doing.”
The indoor football kicker joined the Pasco, Washington Tri-City Rush halfway through the American West Football Conference’s (AWFC) last season after a decade hiatus from the gridiron. Before the team folded due to financial constraints, she had signed on with the professional team as starting kicker for the 2023 season.
In the 2022 season, Council earned Second Team All-AWFC honors and led the league in accuracy and total points in the kicking department.
The California native got her start in football on the Atascadero High School powderpuff team before spending her senior year on the varsity team. After graduation, she spent her collegiate career focused on a different sport: soccer.
Starting at Cal State San Bernardino, Council soon transferred to Minot State, earning NSIC All-American before graduation.
“I was at a 40,000 plus commuter school my freshman year as a history major and — hard as it may be to believe — at that time, I was quiet,” she said. “And Minot State has their tagline, Be Seen. Be Heard. And it is more than just a slogan. It’s literally what they did for me, by being a smaller school.
“I was able to stay in Division II athletics, and Minot State has everything any other school does but with a smaller community. It is more personable, and I feel that is something that I needed at that time.”
The move to Beaver athletics also introduced her to Neil Roberts, associate professor of professional communication.
“When I came there, I had an open mind and Neil Roberts gave me too many opportunities, he never gave me a chance to do anything else,” she laughed. “He does a good job of keeping his students very busy in his area — I’m definitely a Neil Robert’s product.”
As Council pursued her major in broadcasting and minors in honors, history, and Spanish, she began building her resume. Beginning as a paid broadcasting intern for the MSU hockey team, she was soon working at KX News throughout college as a reporter.
“Because I had a job and I was getting hands-on learning experiences with my peers, I feel like that really lifted me up to the next level,” she said.
Today, Council is again leveling up, this time with her new digital arts and communication business, Intangible Media. Following a two-year stint as sports director at KNDU/KNDO/SWX in Eastern Washington, her current venture is giving her the ability to again forge her own way, this time outside the comfort of traditional media outlets.
“I’ve always wanted to find a way to better serve the communities I’m a part of, but it’s kind of scary because it’s not a laid-out path and the world is rapidly changing,” she said. “But timing wise, everything pushed me in this direction and it’s super exciting.”
Since launching in August, she has found opportunities in radio, TV, print and streaming in the areas of sports, lifestyle, and agriculture in addition to offering creating services for businesses trying to make their way in the digital age.
“I love to learn and have always taken pride in being a well-rounded person,” she said. “Now, I have created opportunities in and outside of sports. When it’s traditional news, you’re so focused on one thing — it doesn’t allow for that creativity and it tends to make people one dimensional. While there’s nothing wrong with that, this more matches up with who I am and finding the right opportunities.”
While the journey toward Intangible Media hasn’t been a straight line, it highlights who Council is.
“When I was younger I didn’t really have a sense of direction. I always envy people that are like, oh, I’ve wanted to do this since I was 8 years old, or whatever,” she said. “That’s not me. I’m figuring it out as I go.”
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: 12/27/22 |
