Shop- teaching star — Colgrove receives UW award

Bessie Colgrove, Newcastle’s middle and high school wood shop teacher, has been awarded a scholarship funded by a prestigious education leadership researcher and author. The University of Wyoming on May 16 recognized Colgrove’s dedication to her profession and her students.

Colgrove’s professor and adviser, Rob Hill, told the News Letter Journal that the Dr. Douglas Reeves Distinguished Education Graduate Prize recognized two outstanding career and technical education teachers who were student teachers in the fall 2024 semester. This is the first year that Reeves has awarded the $5,000 scholarship, and 22 students were eligible, Hill said. The selection of the recipients was based on metrics that included prior coursework, field observations and evaluations, according to Hill.

“Further, we (The College of Education) wanted to recognize students that were not only excelling in their coursework but ones that were creating innovative programs,” Hill told the NLJ.

Colgrove was surprised she received the award. She said she was grateful that Hill recommended her for the honor and that Reeves provided the opportunity.

“Going back to school for the past three years, learning to teach while teaching, and with young children, was definitely a lot at times, and this award makes me feel very appreciated and validated in my commitment to the work,” Colgrove told the NLJ.

During an interview with Reeves at the university, Colgrove shared some photos of her students’ projects from this year’s art show. She told the NLJ that because she was exclusively taking online classes at the university, she hadn’t been on campus since 2007, so the experience was also nostalgic.

According to Colgrove, Reeves “voiced a serious concern with the dropout epidemic in our country, and how this isn’t a 2025 problem, but a 2075 problem,” she said. “And he said that he wanted to choose someone in CTE (career and technical education) this year because he believes the best way to keep kids in school is to keep them engaged, and CTE courses are just that – engaging. He wanted to show that these types of programs are important and deserve support.”

Reeves told the NLJ that the nation needs people who can work in CTE, and he believes that it is crucial for educators to keep students interested in work that they find meaningful. He said he believes the dean and
the Wyoming Legislature seek to honor CTE.

“I think we just need to honor people who can work with their hands and get the job done,” he said. “That’s what I’ve tried to contribute to.”

According to Hill, Reeves also sought to help Wyoming students “gain critical skills to become marketable in the statewide economy.”

“With the shortage of CTE teachers in Wyoming, it is critical that schools have teachers to help these students,” Hill said. “Without a teacher, these programs often go away. As a land grant university, it is critical to the stability of the state to supply teachers for these programs. Having a University of Wyoming student that stays in-state and continues a program they came from was an important consideration for Bessie’s selection – especially considering how well she did.”

Colgrove told the NLJ she learned that in most of the United States, students have to wait until their junior or senior year to take the types of CTE programs the district offers.

“We are lucky – very lucky — to have the types of CTE programs we have at our small school, and admin that support it,” she said. 

Maggie Unterseher, the school district’s librarian, had alerted the NLJ that Colgrove, whom she grew up with, received the award, and she explained why she believes Colgrove deserves it.

“She has always been so kind, smart and caring,” Unterseher said. “She has done so much in her life, successes and failures, but she is really shining when working with students. She is understanding with the students and does well with the ones who aren’t the traditional ones. She makes connections and is able to use those relationships to be real about the world after high school.”

Unterseher said that she has seen students of hers whom she “never would have expected to be artsy” thrive in the woodworking environment Colgrove creates.

Hill said he is impressed with the talent of Colgrove, who has extensive training in fine woodworking — both because of the size of Weston County School District 1’s  program and the caliber of work of Colgrove’s NHS students. Hill said that her work in methods courses featured in-depth analysis and innovative use of AI tools.

“As one that has taught in this area, I know how difficult it can be to have young students create high-quality work,” he said. “Bessie’s students are above what we typically see from young teachers. She has exceptional content knowledge and has the ability to communicate high-level processes to students. It is very evident in the quality of work produced by these high school students.”

Hill said he and Jenna Min Shim, the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean of the College of Education, hope that Colgrove will be available to help mentor other young teachers in how to create a robust woodworking program.

“Newcastle has a long history of having one of the best woods programs in Wyoming, if not the best,” Hill said. “To be able to honor that tradition as a young teacher is outstanding. The woods program is tied to the community and there are high expectations from community members. Bessie has met that expectation, and it is very impressive how she has done this in a short amount of time. The fact that she is a graduate and alum makes the story even better.”

Colgrove is committed to her students today and in the future.

“I have seen how CTE can empower students and change lives — mine included — and I am committed to ensuring that CTE classes and our students continue to get the value and visibility they deserve,” Cosgrove said.