Montana began her career in education teaching second-grade in NC and went on to teach Kindergarten, third-, and fourth-grade. Recognizing a need and desire to better support her students in math, she earned a Master’s degree in Elementary Education with a focus in Mathematics. Her life forever changed, as she saw math for what it was—a social activity that can be creative and used to enact change in communities. The pandemic did not stop her from finishing her PhD in Educational Studies, and she currently teaches elementary math methods courses to students at Georgia Southern University. Montana continues her love for learning through her research, which focuses on understanding how teachers learn to teach mathematics in culturally relevant ways—in particular, facilitating conversations around children’s mathematical thinking and problem solving. When she is not in education mode, Montana spends time with her family and is a frequent beach-goer.