Five to receive Southeast Young Alumni awards

The Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association has selected five alumni to receive Southeast's 2015 Young Alumni Merit Awards, the university announced Monday.

The five will be honored at a commencement luncheon at noon May 16 in the Student Recreation Center-North and be recognized during spring commencement exercises at 2 p.m. May 16 in the Show Me Center.

Alumni to receive the awards are Chris Foeste of Cape Girardeau; Kaci Heins of Flagstaff, Arizona; Jennifer Sides of St. Louis; Tiffany Bayer of Jefferson City, Missouri; and Theresa Hassler of Harlem, New York.

The award is given annually to honor alumni 37 years or younger who have brought distinction to the university through professional growth, service and character. The Alumni Association chooses the recipients from a list of nominees representing each college. Nominations may come from faculty, staff and alumni as well as the general public.

Foeste graduated with a bachelor's degree in applied computer science and a computer networking minor from Southeast in 2004. He is the general manager of Big River Communications, headquartered in Cape Girardeau.