Montana State University student Halie Smith is preparing to graduate and begin her career as a middle school science teacher. Smith, who is set to receive a bachelor’s degree in secondary education during MSU’s 143rd commencement ceremony, has faced significant challenges throughout her college years.
Two summers ago, Smith broke her leg and struggled academically, failing organic chemistry twice and genetics once. Financial concerns also made her consider leaving school. However, with support from friends, she retook the failed courses and passed them while recovering from her injury.
“I’m glad that I went through it because it really felt like that time was very specific in my growth,” Smith said last week during an online call from New Zealand, where she was student teaching. “Because I’m able to use that challenge in the future to be like, ‘Oh yeah, I can get through it. That’s no problem.’ And I’m really appreciative that I had that time because it built a good community around me and built really good friendships that I needed.”
Smith distinguished herself at MSU by earning the Outstanding Graduate Award for fall 2025 from the College of Education, Health and Human Development. According to Joe Hicks, associate teaching professor in the Department of Education: “While college is typically a busy time for all students, Halie Smith has embraced the term ‘busy’ and translated it into a tremendously diverse and impactful undergraduate career. Starting at MSU in the fall of 2020, Halie immediately began making an impact both on campus and in the Bozeman community. She also quickly became a leader amongst her classmates.”
Smith focused on rural education by participating in experiences such as the Rural Teaching Discovery STEM Club at Pine Creek School in Park County and completing a practicum in Glasgow. Her student teaching included nine weeks at a public school in Bozeman followed by five weeks at a private school near Auckland, New Zealand.
“Halie actively sought out a diversity of teaching experiences to become a better teacher for her future students,” said Marcie Reuer, associate teaching professor in the Department of Education. “Her lessons are designed with intentionality to connect with every learner. She uses the inquiry learning approach so her students may connect their science content to their lived experiences.”
Smith credits faculty members for providing strong support: “The professors are committed to helping you and guiding you into building yourself up as a teacher,” she said. “They help you get more and more out of every preservice teaching experience. And even though they can’t really prepare you for every classroom, you also have a lot of support on the back end if you need it.”
Outside academics, Smith worked as a teacher’s assistant at MSU’s Child Development Center and volunteered abroad—teaching science for two weeks in Eswatini and English as a second language for eight weeks in Mongolia.
Growing up in Polson as a descendant of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes influenced Smith’s interest in science education. Attending STEM programs at Salish Kootenai College during high school played an important role: “We actually got to go in and take a look in the lab, and we got to see stem cells under a microscope,” she recalled.
Initially majoring jointly in music education and microbiology before focusing solely on science education during sophomore year, Smith said: “I have always loved any science teacher I’ve ever had… Science has always been a big passion of mine since high school… And I also think it’s fun to be that Miss Frizzle kind of teacher – you can be a little bit out there and nobody’s going to question it when you’re a science teacher.”
Smith expressed enthusiasm about engaging students: “I really love getting to know students… I love seeing them grow… And then they start to actually enjoy class.” She aims to introduce scientific concepts through different cultural perspectives while implementing Montana’s Indian Education for All mandate.
“I think there’s so much that we can learn from different cultures… I’m really happy that the state of Montana makes it a priority to make sure that Indian Education for All is included in the schools,” she said.
Looking ahead after graduation, Smith hopes to secure work as a middle school science teacher within Montana.
“I’m proud of the way that I’ve grown from a kid who had never done anything outside of her comfort zone except for speech and debate to being someone who’s willing to try new things… That would not have been possible my freshman year,” Smith reflected.
