Bryant Elementary fifth graders honored as Helena College graduates

Fifth graders from Bryant Elementary were treated like college graduates on Friday, a ceremony meant to do more than hand out applause. After spending the school year visiting Helena College once a month, the students were celebrated as honorary graduates and sent home with a clearer picture of what a college campus looks and feels like.

The program brought Bryant students from 1520 Livingston Ave. to Helena College’s campus for hands-on learning in different departments, with monthly exposure to subjects such as math, English, art and science. For children still years away from enrolling in college, the visits turned higher education from an abstract idea into something they could see, touch and imagine themselves doing. Students walked into classrooms, met staff members and took part in practical activities that tied schoolwork to real careers and real places in Helena.

Sylvie Hockett said she felt happy, excited and ready to move forward, a reaction that captured the tone of the day and the larger goal of the partnership. Isaiah Lesh was among the Bryant fifth graders honored as the school marked the end of the year with a graduation-style ceremony families could attend. The event gave parents and relatives a chance to watch children receive honorary degrees, while also reinforcing a simple message for students: college is not reserved for someone else’s future.

The Bryant-Helena College partnership has been running for several years. A 2024 account said it was already in its third year, after Helena College administrator Robin Kiesling reached out to her sister, Bryant fifth-grade teacher Taylor Hassler, following Hassler’s move to Bryant. What began as a family connection has grown into a steady bridge between a Helena Public Schools elementary classroom and the higher education system just across town.

Helena College says its mission is to support its diverse community by providing the paths and tools necessary to achieve educational and career goals, and the Bryant program fits squarely within that idea. The college’s Elementary Education program also offers a 2+2 degree pathway tied to the University of Montana’s Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences, underscoring how early exposure at Bryant can connect to a longer education pipeline in Helena and beyond.