Metallica Scholars Initiative Scholarship Recipients

Jennifer Shaw

HVAC

Thank you so very much for this scholarship. It helps me as a full-time student, working as much as I can, while trying to spend quality time with my 12-year-old. I’m grateful to be earning my HVAC certification, and I even got to walk the graduation ceremony. As intimidating as it’s been coming back to school and graduating again at 39, your scholarship has truly made a difference! Thank you once again. I hope others get to benefit from your generosity.

Louis Werner

Welding

I want to say thank you so much for the scholarship. I truly appreciate the money. It will help with gas money to go to and from school. My plans are to pipeline weld.

I was raised on a working cattle ranch and was homeschooled. I have always enjoyed working with my hands and building things. On the farm there is always a need for a welder so through the small welding jobs I have done on my own, I became more interested in learning welding as my potential career.

Staying in the rural environment is important to me, and I know the art of welding is needed, but scarce. That is where I would like to use my skill as a welder. I am very grateful for your generosity, and I am excited for what my future holds.

Noah Jackson

Industrial Engineering Technology

Thank you, Metallica Scholars, and the All Within My Hands Foundation. While I have taken fewer courses than usual, money is still very tight. There just hasn’t been much work for me since the start of the year. I went from working full-time to just two days a week, and while this helps me keep up with school, it also makes it very hard to pay for school. More than half of my income is going toward tuition and transportation to school. This financial support really means a lot to me.

Nina Tweedy

Welding

Thank you so much for this generous opportunity! I am a single mother of an 8-year-old, and I just graduated with a welding certificate. I plan to come back for a degree in welding. I am forever grateful for your support!

Gabriel Altermayer

Industrial Technology

I am so grateful to have been chosen for a Metallica Scholarship! I am in my final semester for my associate degree, and I am the first in my family to complete college. I work 40–60 hours per week to support myself and my education. This really helps to get me to my goal.

I graduated May 11 with an associate in applied science degree in Industrial Engineering Technology. I already have a good job lined out due to this, so thank you for helping me better myself. You are really giving people a chance to get ahead in life or start a new journey. Thank you on behalf of me and all other students. Rock on!

Race Clark

Precision Machining

Thank you very much for this scholarship. I am in my last semester of the Precision Machining program, and we had the opportunity to design, program, and machine anything we could imagine. I used the money from the scholarship to pay for the materials needed to complete the project.

The part I chose to machine is a symbol of an Air Force detachment down in Florida where I went to tech training. After this semester, I plan to transfer to Missouri S&T to get a degree in metallurgical engineering. My goal is to have a wide knowledge of metals and how they are formed, manufactured, and assembled for industries. During my time at Missouri S&T, I believe the skills I learned at ECC can be put to good use for one of the many clubs and projects Missouri S&T has to offer. Again, I cannot thank you enough for this scholarship and the opportunity you have given me.

Sakura Shortal

Welding

I am so pleased and honored to receive a Metallica Scholarship to help with my tuition as I enter the welding program at East Central College. Entering this program is a bit of a reach for me—I’ve never done anything like this. My younger brother inspired me to try. He is in the dual credit welding program at Four Rivers Career Center, and I am so impressed with his enthusiasm that I decided to imitate him. This scholarship is a kind of affirmation that I am doing the right thing. So… thank you so very much, both for me and for all those you are helping enter the trades.

Hunter Gibson

HVAC

I can’t describe how thankful I am to receive this scholarship. Every little bit helps pay for tuition or class materials for my HVAC class. The generosity shown to help technical education students is amazing, showing that you want to help and pay it forward to help students in their education.

Coming from separated parents, I have learned valuable lessons when it comes to help—take it and be grateful for the assistance received. I am very grateful to be chosen for the scholarship. When I had toured East Central to see if it was the school for me, I saw the Metallica Scholars banner with metal microphones and stands, which sparked my curiosity to ask what it was about.

My tour guide explained that Metallica had a scholarship for the technical education departments. I had just thought that was awesome. Considering that I grew up with parents from that era of rock music, where Metallica would be regularly played. Now, they are having a bigger influence in my life by helping me further my education by blessing me with a scholarship. I will be forever grateful.

David Ison

Precision Machining

I want to thank you for awarding me with the Metallica Scholarship. It truly means a lot to me. College alone is stressful enough, and trying to figure out how I am going to pay for my classes is added stress after I graduate. Every little bit really does help. It’s not just me that it helps. It helps every other student who scholarships are awarded to. Some more than others.

Receiving the scholarship also means a lot to me because Metallica is one of my favorite bands. It means a lot to me that they took the initiative to donate to colleges around the country to boost the trade fields.

I appreciate that you chose to award me with a scholarship.

Joelle J. Phillips

Welding

I have been able to receive the Metallica scholarship in both the Fall 2022 and the Spring 2023. I don’t think I could ever properly write out how much this means to me and how much it’s helped my husband and I. I have been able to continue my education in welding and am currently an intern at Tooling Tech Company. The people there are wonderful and I’m really enjoying it. We get to learn so many new things everyday and bring more value to ourselves.

I have also been able to buy the parts needed to fix my car and afford gas to get to and from school. What you guys are doing is impacting many people’s lives. I know for a fact the people in my class are very appreciative of your donations. A couple of gals in my class are single mothers with full-time jobs and work their butts off to be able to go to class every day. What you’re doing helps us out immensely.

Nicholas Bonfiglio

HVAC

I am on my second year at East Central College. I cannot express how grateful I am for the support I have received from you. It helps tremendously to get back and forth to classes as well as pursue my goal to get my 608 HVAC training. Being from a low income family, I have never thought I would get to attend school. Thanks to your help, I am looking to graduate next year! I am wanting to graduate from ECC and go to (Missouri) S&T for engineering or SEMO (Southeast Missouri State University) for their Maintenance Management course. Again, thanks for all the support. The Wolverine Boots came in last semester. They are extremely comfortable. Thanks again for supporting the trades!

Kenny Jacks

Industrial Engineering Technology

I’m currently going to East Central College for industrial engineering technology. I have been disabled with congenital heart disease all my life. Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia. I have been out of work for ten years. I just started to go back to school. I want to work toward getting my associate degree in IET. I want to thank you from the very bottom of my heart. I want to thank you for blessing me with the $2,800 scholarship. It will be going toward books and essentials. I am most grateful for it. I’m looking forward to seeing what else you all will do in the future. Thank you again for what you do.

Michael Ryan

Welding

The funds provided are a great source of financial support for me and will help me cover the rest of any financial constraints. I am so honored to have been chosen to be part of the Metallica Foundation family.

Your investment in my future is truly appreciated and I am committed to making the most of this opportunity. I am confident that with the help of this grant, I will be able to make a positive impact on my community.

I am deeply appreciative of the Metallica Foundation’s commitment to helping students achieve their dreams and I am committed to doing my best to make sure that the money invested in me is put to a good use.

Alex Robbins

Industrial Engineering Technology

I am currently in my second semester at East Central College. I enjoy my studies, especially my Industrial Controls Wiring class. I currently am gaining so much information in my studies that I will be able to implement into my current career. I work for Clemco Industries as a CI Specialist. I started my career at Clemco as a crate builder in July 2021 and quickly moved into cabinet assembly on the standard side, then quickly into the project side. In December 2022, a position opened for a CI Specialist for which I applied. With the knowledge I had gained from building and classes through ECC, it gave me a better opportunity than others who applied. With this scholarship, I will be able to put more money towards my education to help me grow even more in my career at Clemco. I am the first person in my family to be able to go to college and your scholarship is essential! My goals for the future are to get my certificate in IET and continue to grow my knowledge in my company. I also wish to start my own business one day. I have always had a passion for building and wanting a better understanding of the electrical and mechanical side of things—this scholarship, that I can use toward a certificate, will help me get there.

Jessica McMillian Brown

Welding

Currently, I am in my third semester of college at East Central College in Union, Missouri, where I am working toward my two-year Associate of Applied Science degree, majoring in Welding. Along with my welding courses, I completed Blueprint Reading for Industry and CNC programming, as well as a Precision Machining and Tool course. Your amazing kindness and support will keep me excited and motivated as I continue my educational journey into this trade.

I am a first-generation student at 38 years old and a single mother, so the worry of how I would pay for college was the one thing that held me back all these years, but not anymore. I will no longer worry about the financial burden of college debt. You have invested your time and efforts in me and my education, impacting my life so much—words cannot express how eternally grateful I truly am for that.

Brandon Clinkinbeard

Industrial Engineering Technology

I sincerely appreciate the help in making it possible to better myself and be able to care of my family. I’ve been avoiding returning to school for years because I was afraid to stop working full-time, and then struggle to support my family.

I had an opportunity to reduce my work hours and return to school to further my education. It helped cover our rent because I’m not able to work as much going to school fulltime. It was immensely helpful.

I also wanted to show my kids you’re never too old to go back to school, and get the education you need to better support yourself and your loved ones.

Calvin Tyre

Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning

I am paying for this class out of pocket. I currently work a full-time job and a part-time job, plus I am a full-time student and I have a family.

The scholarship helps with the financial struggles while I am in the program. I am a maintenance supervisor at a prison, and last June I was placed over the HVAC department. I knew a little about HVAC but far from what I consider to be a HVAC tech — so I bet on myself to see what opportunities this brings.

Erica Stockell

Welding

Being a single mom with four kids, any bit of money can really help. It has taken a weight off of my shoulders knowing that people out there care.

As a first-generation college student, I want to show my children that you can get more out of life with an education. I want to be an example that this is the way to go about it.

It is really an honor to have a scholarship from Metallica — If I were to meet them, I’d say, ‘Thank you so much for this opportunity! I am really blessed and honored that you are sponsoring me and gave me this scholarship.’