This paper details an exploratory study of 14 elementary prospective teachers (PTs) solving purposefully crafted, two-digit addition problems. The numbers in each problem were chosen to elicit diverse solution strategies. We coded 95 responses based on the ways the PTs completed the calculation (for example, by referring to the number as individual digits and/or by using strategies that attended to the value of the number). The findings suggest that although an overwhelming number of strategies explicitly referred to the numbers as distinct digits while adding, there was some evidence that PTs utilized more diverse strategies or sub-strategies (e.g., counting up or down strategies, derived facts of doubles or base ten knowledge). Our study seeks to unpack for mathematics teacher educators the typical narrative of PTs' reliance on algorithmic strategies while highlighting their use of more nuanced strategies as well.