Reading the biographies of the latest Golden Award recipients might cause one to assume the winners came from major centers of learning, not our own Minot State University.

But that is so. The Minot State Alumni Association will honor four people with the award Thursday, and their accomplishments are indeed impressive.

The 2019 honorees include Greg Fjeld, Cheryl Nilsen, Michael Saba and Myron Thompson.

Some of the highlights of Fjeld’s high school teaching and coaching career, according to MSU, include: three-time WDA Coach of the Year, two-time North Dakota Coaches Association State Coach of the Year, two-time National Federation High School Coach of the Year, three-time West Region Coach of the Year, two state track & field championships, 39 state track & field champions, and 58 West Region track & field champions.

That’s just for starters. He has also been extremely active in the community since retiring from Minot Public Schools in 2012.

Thompson? Even if you have never heard of the Upham native you have probably dined at one of his restaurants. Perhaps you even worked for him at one time.

The Minot State graduate started out in 1970 with an independent restaurant called The Lantern. He then proceeded to open or was involved with the opening of dozens of franchise restaurants, including names like Hardee’s, Village Inn Pizza, Happy Joe’s Pizza, Applebee’s and Qdoba. In doing so Thompson has created jobs for thousands of people and has likely paved life-long career paths in the food industry for many of his workers and managers.

He also created employment for countless others through his ownership of temporary help businesses.

Like Fjeld and Thompson’s, the bios of Nilsen and Saba are incredibly interesting and impressive. As are all of the life stories of Golden Award winners of previous years.

MSU has a rich history, we know that. And thanks to the alumni association, we are allowed to share in the successes of some of the students who have attended the university. Some passed through Minot, some set down roots here – others were born here, such as Nilsen, then grew up and thrived in the Magic City. Her contributions to the community through teaching and music cannot be measured.

Past honorees have included state and national leaders in energy development, education, finance, sports, public service, etc. – all products or good friends of Minot State University.

MSU has reason to be proud of its Golden Award winners and all of Minot should be too. Congratulations to this year’s winners – and to Caleb Heilman of Minot, winner of the Young Alumni Achievement Award for 2019.