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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota superintendent of public instruction, will deliver the keynote address at Valley City State University’s 121st commencement exercises, Saturday, May 11, in the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse at 10am.

Baesler worked in the Bismarck Public School District for more than two decades in a variety of roles—as an instructional assistant to students with intellectual disabilities, a classroom teacher, library media specialist, technology integration specialist and vice principal. She served on the board of the Mandan Public School District from 2004–12. Baesler was southwest regional director for the North Dakota School Boards Association from 2008–12; since 2011 she has served on the North Dakota Educational Technology Council.

Representing the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education at VCSU’s commencement is board member Don Morton. Morton, a senior director at Microsoft, is a key player on the Microsoft campus in Fargo. Prior to joining Microsoft, he was the assistant to the president and director of university relations at North Dakota State University.

Rosemary Tompkins will present the graduate student address. A librarian in the West Fargo School District, Tompkins completed the requirements for a master’s degree in education with a concentration in library and information technologies at VCSU in December 2012. She holds bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and library science from the University of North Dakota.

Courtney Titus will present the undergraduate student address. An English and history major (with a psychology minor) from Hankinson, Titus has served VCSU as a “Learning to Live, Living to Learn” mentor, a new-student orientation leader and an English tutor in the Learning Center. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society.

Titus played basketball for the VCSU Vikings and was named to the A.I.I. all-tournament team each of the last two years. She was also named a 2012–13 Daktronics-NAIA Women’s Basketball Scholar Athlete. This fall Titus will begin studies at Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Neb.

Approximately 286 graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to participate in the VCSU commencement exercises. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and a reception that immediately follows.