Secretary of State Al Jaeger has been selected as the 2009 Bismarck State College Alumni of the Year. Jaeger graduated from BSCin 1963. He was selected for his achievements in business and public service. He is serving his fifth term as secretary of state.

Jaeger will be recognized at a dinner May 14 and during commencement May 15.

A Beulah native, Jaeger was a high school teacher, served in the North Dakota Army National Guard and spent 20 years as a real estate broker in Fargo. He owned the Gallery of Homes Realty Center in Fargo and then joined Metro Realtors. The F-M Area Association of Realtors named him Realtor of the Year in 1980.

He has a bachelor's degree in business education with a minor in speech from Dickinson State University, and did post-graduate studies at the University of North Dakota and Montana State University.

The award is given the by the Bismarck State College Alumni Association. The alumni association also gave the rising star alumni award to two people. They are Troy Nies and Jon Fornshell.

Nies is a composer who lives in Killdeer. His work includes scores for H.P. Lovecraft and the "Diabolical Tales" film series. He has a B.A. in music, with focus on composition and piano performance, from Dickinson State University. Nies maintains his studio in Killdeer, where he is lead emergency medical technician for the Dunn County paramedic team and a volunteer firefighter. He presented at the statewide 2008 Arts and Humanities Summit at BSC and as an ArtsQuest guest artist in 2006.

Forshnell lives in Williamsburg, Va. He owns a consulting company that assists with software installation. Fornshell has a bachelor's degree in business administration/information management from the University of North Dakota. He volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The Rising Star award recipients also will be recognized at the alumni dinner.

For dinner reservations, call 224-5692 or 800-272-2586 by May 8. The May 14 dinner begins with a 6 p.m. social, followed by dinner and a program at 6:30 p.m. in the BSC Student Union Missouri Room. Tickets are $20. Make checks payable to the BSC Alumni Association and mail to BSC Alumni Association, P.O. Box 5587, Bismarck, N.D. 58506-5587. Guests are welcome to bring cards or letters, or mail them with the reservation and payment.