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The transition from an undergraduate STEM student to a successful STEM teacher who persists for more than 5 years teaching in a high needs school is a tenuous journey. Only one third of STEM teachers persist in teaching for more than 5 years, and in rural areas the number of STEM teachers who leave each year is even higher. The goal of the Noyce Scholarship program is to increase the number of effective STEM teachers in the public-school classroom. For most undergraduate STEM majors, their challenges in coursework, certification, and personal issues are highly individualized and need specific intervention. This qualitative case study examines the journey of one STEM undergraduate, how the Noyce program responded to the participant’s individual challenges, and the success and persistence of that Noyce recipient in the STEM classroom. Case studies such as this can provide critical information to EPP’s and STEM scholarship programs about the challenges and needs of STEM undergraduates and teachers, so that key changes can be made in those programs to better support and increase the number of effective STEM teachers who will stay in the classroom.