Scholar

Montana is from Eustis, Florida, and graduated from the Brinson Honors College at Western Carolina University, where she received a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Biology: Pre-Health Professional, Outdoor Recreation & Wilderness Medicine, and Chemistry. Montana received an M.S. in Biology from the Graduate School at Western Carolina University. Her research investigated proteins expressed by bacteriophages that regulate gene transcription and defense against other viruses. She is passionate about education, working as a teaching assistant for various undergraduate biology courses during her graduate studies and volunteering with the Crisis Text Line. After graduating, Montana accepted a position as a high school science teacher, specializing in teaching Forensic Science.