From Pharmacy to Policy: UM Student Finds Her Voice on Montana Board of Regents

By Skylar Rispens, UM News Service

MISSOULA – Quindy Gronley is prepping for a career in pharmacy, not politics. Yet the University of Montana student now has a vote on decisions shaping higher education across the state.

Typically, student representatives serving on the Montana Board of Regents come from academic backgrounds more closely aligned with public service like political science or pre-law, Gronley said. She sees the differences between herself and past students in the role as an opportunity to bring a new perspective to the board – one grounded in the everyday questions students face about education, employment and their futures in Montana.  

“It didn't initially feel like the perfect match in my head, but it was something I was excited about and something I totally could see myself doing, even though it wasn’t in my 10-year plan that I envisioned,” said Gronley, who was appointed to the board by Gov. Greg Gianforte in July. “But it’s such an honor to be entrusted with this responsibility.”

Originally from Kalispell, Gronley is a Presidential Leadership Scholar in the Davidson Honors College now in her third year at the University and is studying to become a pharmacist. She’s enrolled in the dual PharmD/MBA program, a pairing she said will help her achieve her ultimate career goal of working in a leadership role for a large hospital system.

Beyond her studies, Gronley is a student representative for the Western Regional Honors Council and a student leader in the chemistry program. She also founded UM’s Red Cross Club and is a campus ambassador, peer mentor and orientation leader for new students through the UM Advocates, where she currently serves as a lead fundraising coordinator.

These leadership opportunities have provided her with a unique perspective to understand a wide variety of student experiences, from incoming first-year students to those transferring to campus and those returning to college as nontraditional learners, she said. Gronley serves on the board’s Academic, Research and Student Affairs Committee, a position that informs her interest in student-facing policy.

“These experiences have given me a deeper understanding of how to advocate for individuals and populations whose experiences might be vastly different from my own,” Gronley said. “You need someone who can really get on the same level as all of the students, no matter where they came from, what backgrounds they come from. Taking that understanding and using it to make policy in someone else’s best interest is going to be something I'll dig deeply into through this position.”

During her one-year term with the Board of Regents, Gronley hopes to address the uncertainty many students have about a college degree leading to a well-paying job and sustainable future in Montana.

“Coming into this, I think I was very caught up in this idea that if we can just get students through to graduation faster with less debt, all of our problems would be solved and students will have faith in their education,” Gronley said. “But there also is an argument made that our world is changing very quickly.”

The rapid technical advancements of artificial intelligence have many people feeling uncertain. Therefore, the Montana University System needs to develop critical thinkers and systems-oriented individuals who understand the interplay of a variety of disciplines, she said.

Gronley also is acutely aware that a traditional college education isn’t the right path for all learners. Moving forward, she’d like to see more support for students pursuing trade programs or certificates that offer important pathways into the workforce.

As a student regent, Gronley is working to build connections with campus administrators and student governments across the Montana University System. Outreach is central to the position, she said, and students may have ideas or concerns but might feel intimidated about approaching the Board of Regents directly.

“That is precisely why I’m here,” Gronley said. “I am a voting member of the Board of Regents, but first and foremost I am a University of Montana student – no different from anyone else in the University System. I want to be a trusted bridge so that any student can approach me with an idea or concern, and I can carry it to a higher level.”

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Contact: Dave Kuntz, UM vice president of marketing and communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu.