Awarded in 2023

Tristan graduated from Valley City State University in 2008 with a double major in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems.

Tristan is currently employed by Marcus Theatres of Fargo and serves as the General Manager of the Century Cinema Theatre. He started as a part-time theatre associate, a role he held for 6 years. He became General Manager in March 2017.

Tristan received the Ben Marcus Humanitarian All-Star Award (2014), Ben Marcus

Humanitarian of the Year award (2015), and Marcus Theatres Core Leadership Believe Achiever Award (2022). The Ben Marcus Humanitarian Award is named after Marcus Corporation founder and community advocate Ben Marcus, and recognizes associates who have gone above and beyond in their volunteering for others.

Tristan serves on the planning committee for the ND Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Walks raising money for suicide prevention programs.

Dr. Katie Woehl, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs & Professor of Psychology at VCSU stated, “Tristan Ross plays a critical role in our local suicide prevention and awareness efforts through his work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). As the co-chair of the Valley City Out of the Darkness Walk, I am incredibly grateful for Tristan’s enthusiasm and assistance. It can easily become overwhelming to be doing this difficult work in a rural area, but Tristan is always looking for ways to help; he makes trips to Valley City to talk to members of our community, to help at our Valley City event, and to bring suicide awareness programming to schools, businesses, and other groups in our area. His passion for the cause and determination to do the work well are admirable and very much appreciated.”

Tristan said it is hard to pick any particular memory during his time with the university. He was involved in a multitude of student organizations that allowed him to make a difference for many fellow students. Tristan said, “I think the memories that I really cherish is how I have kept in touch with many students that I met during my time at VCSU and seeing how much their life has developed since our time together.”