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CITY (NewsDakota.com) Ken Astrup ‘73, the General Manager of the Dakota Plains Cooperative in Valley City, will deliver the keynote address at Valley City State University’s 120th Commencement exercises, Saturday at 10:00 am in W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse on the VCSU campus.

Astrup is a recognized expert in the establishment, development and operation of cooperative businesses. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association, and is very active in community, state and regional associations, especially state and local school boards and task forces. Ken is currently a member of the VCSU Foundation Board of Directors and was elected as a recipient of the VCSU Distinguished Alumni Award by the VCSU Alumni Association. He is married to Linda (Anderson) Astrup ’72, and has three children.

Jennifer Crom, the first student to complete VCSU’s M.Ed. with a concentration in Teaching English Language Learners (ELL), will present the graduate student address. Jenni is a teacher at a Global Studies Elementary School in Sioux Falls, SD where about one third of her class consists of language learners.

The undergraduate student address will be presented by Nick Faure of Valley City. Nick majored in Chemistry, Biology, and Health Science and is graduating Summa Cum Laude. While a student, Nick served on the Student Senate, the Pre-Professional Club (president), the Spanish Club (treasurer), and the Viking Ambassadors, and he was named the 2011 Student Employee of the Year.

Approximately 248 graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to participate. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and a reception that immediately follows.