Another Wyoming teacher has received “the Oscar of teaching.” Garrid Halsey, a STEM teacher at Laramie Middle School, received the Milken Educator Award on Friday.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder and Milken Educator Awards Vice President Jennifer Fuller surprised Halsey with the award during an all-school assembly.
The award is given to exceptional educators in the United States for their outstanding dedication to excellence in education.
Halsey was among 30 teachers selected from across the nation, and the only one from Wyoming, to receive the honor for the 2025-2026 school year.
Milken Educator Award winners don’t know if they’ve won, or that they were even a candidate, until the moment their students and peers know, too.
Halsey was sitting in the bleachers among his students during the surprise assembly, totally unaware he was the star of the show.
When all was revealed, Halsey's surprise was plastered across his face.
He stepped down to the gymnasium floor to receive hugs, handshakes, and a $25,000 check, amid uproarious cheering from his students.
“Garrid Halsey understands that not every student learns best by memorizing facts from a textbook,” said Degenfelder. “By providing rigorous, project-based learning, Halsey does not just teach students, he brings their lessons to life.”
Strong STEM
Halsey earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology and secondary education, with minors in art and earth science, from the University of Wyoming in 2020.
He teaches STEM-based classes to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders that would appeal to anyone with an interest in science and technology.
“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, a 2017 Texas Milken Educator.
The four classes Halsey teaches are flight and space, computer science, automation robotics, and medical detectives.
They focus on project-based lessons designed to introduce and train students for STEM industries, doing everything from writing and debugging computer code to suturing fake skin.
Halsey has also taken on a leadership role among his peers in Albany County School District 1.
He has led professional development for staff, helped create an academic risk assessment screener that utilizes school data to identify students for additional support, and is part of the 307 Principals Leadership Academy.
When he’s not excelling in purely academic endeavors, Halsey facilitates extracurricular opportunities for students. His classroom hosts student clubs for Dungeons & Dragons, student government meetings, and he coaches swimming and Nordic skiing in the Laramie community.
“(Halsey’s) classroom is a place where curiosity is celebrated, and students are prepared at an early age to positively impact our global economy,” Fuller said.
Garrid Halsey gets a hand with his oversized check. Pictured from left, Albany School District 1 Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt; Milken Educator Awards Vice President Jennifer Fuller; Halsey; Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder; Laramie Middle School Principal Kevin O'Dea; and Wyoming Department of Education Teacher Leadership & Awards Consultant Madison Lacey. (Milken Family Foundation) 
Garrid Halsey is congratulated with high-fives from students. (Milken Family Foundation)
Wyoming’s Milken Educators
Since Wyoming joined the program in 1994, 52 Wyoming educators have been recognized for outstanding educational success.
Wyoming’s last Milken Educator Award recipient was Collin Binko, a fine arts teacher at Jackson Hole High School, in March.
Other recent recipients include former Cody High School Principal Nathan Tedjeske and Megan Park, the assistant principal of Gannett Peak Elementary in Lander.
The Milken Educator Award is more than a plaudit with a placard. The giant $25,000 check Halsey received is unrestricted, so he's free to use it for whatever he’d like.
Previous recipients have used the money on everything from continuing education and establishing scholarships to dream field trips and adopting children.
Halsey will also get an all-expenses-paid trip to the Milken Educator Awards Forum in Washington, D.C., in June 2026.
There, Milken recipients can network with their new colleagues and veteran Milken Educators about how to further develop their voice into roles that lead to real change.
Halsey will also receive a new mentor through the Milken Friends Forever program. It pairs new recipients with veteran Milken educators for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy.
“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,” Degenfelder said.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
