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Laramie Teacher Honored with $25,000 Milken Educator Award for Excellence in Teaching

STEM educator Garrid Halsey becomes Wyoming’s only recipient this school year

December 05, 2025

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Laramie Middle School STEM teacher Garrid Halsey thought today’s assembly was meant to celebrate the school’s excellence. However, the morning took a surprising turn when a special guest from the Milken Family Foundation stepped up to the microphone to announce an additional achievement: Halsey is the next national Milken Educator Award recipient! Milken Educator Awards Vice President Jennifer Fuller was joined by Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder to present the Award—and $25,000 cash prize—to Halsey in front of a cheering crowd of students, educators, dignitaries and media. 

“Through innovative instruction and hands-on STEM experiences, Garrid Halsey empowers his middle school students to think boldly, experiment confidently and discover the joy of learning,” said Fuller, herself a 2017 Texas Milken Educator. “His classroom is a place where curiosity is celebrated and students are prepared at an early age to positively impact our global economy.” 

Halsey is the sole Wyoming recipient in 2025-26 and the state’s 52nd since Wyoming joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 1994. 

“Garrid Halsey understands that not every student learns best by memorizing facts from a textbook,” said Superintendent Degenfelder. “By providing rigorous, project-based learning, Halsey does not just teach students, he brings their lessons to life. Halsey’s student-centered approach, as well as his dedication to mentoring other teachers, makes him an exceptional teacher that Wyoming is proud to have in our state.” 

The Milken Family Foundation’s 2025-26 tour will honor 30 educators coast to coast—adding to the Milken Educator Network of more than 3,000 professionals nationwide. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken in 1987, the Milken Educator Awards represent America’s preeminent educator recognition initiative, inspiring educators, students and communities to “Celebrate, Elevate and Activate” the K-12 teaching profession. By the end of this season, more than $76 million in individual financial prizes and more than $146 million will have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall. 

Outstanding educators like Halsey are not aware of their candidacy for the Award. Recipients are sought out while early to mid-career for what they have achieved—and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award. 

More About Garrid Halsey 

Hands-On Learning Inspires Middle School Students: At Laramie Middle School, learning becomes electric whenever Garrid Halsey is involved. Halsey’s classroom is bustling with activity as students write code, debug, or practice suturing on fake skin. Of his four classes—flight and space, computer science, automation robotics, and medical detectives—students engage with his rigorous, project-based lessons while identifying connections between learning and life. For example, students in his medical detectives class investigate a “patient” and draw evidence from classroom experiments to predict what is wrong and why. Ensuring students are well-prepared for STEM industries, Halsey hosts presentations by community professionals and insiders from his alma-mater, the University of Wyoming. 

Teacher, Mentor who Designs Data-Driven Curriculum: Halsey plans curriculum and analyzes data as a leader in his professional learning community (PLC), mentors new STEM teachers, and helps develop interventions and track student progress as a lead on LMS’ multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) team. In this role, Halsey has also led professional development for staff and helped create an academic risk assessment screener that utilizes school data to identify students for additional support. He is part of the 307 Principals Leadership Academy and has participated in MTSS trainings; lesson creation and access; and research opportunities through program partnerships with the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Department of Education, Wyoming Schools and Libraries Integration Computer Science in Education (WySLICE), and the National Science Foundation. 

Community Volunteer and Athletic Coach Who Serves with Enthusiasm: Halsey embraces opportunities to volunteer, whether it’s chaperoning school dances or student leadership community events, lending his classroom to clubs such as Dungeons & Dragons, or supporting student government. He connects with families through a monthly newsletter and is well-known in the community as a coach for swimming and Nordic skiing. 

Education: A 2020 University of Wyoming graduate, Halsey earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology and secondary education, with minors in art and earth science. 

The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits 

• The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
• Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators (AME) promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs. Milken MeetUps abound across the nation to deepen learning and connection and expand innovation in education.
• The honorees will attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Washington, D.C., from June 12-14, 2026, where they will network with their new colleagues, as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders, about how to further develop their voice into roles that lead to real change.
• Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels.

Follow the tour and use the #MilkenAward hashtag on: YouTube (MilkenAward)| Facebook (MilkenEducatorAwards)| Instagram (MilkenFamilyFdn)| TikTok (MilkenAward)| X (Milken)| LinkedIn (MilkenFamilyFdn). 

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information. 

About the Milken Educator Awards: “The Future Belongs to the Educated”
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.

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