With the help of a $75,000 grant from the iconic rock band Metallica’s All Within My Hands (AWMH) foundation, Northland Pioneer College (NPC) is turning student talent into trades and trades into careers.

Earlier this fall, NPC received funding from the AWMH Metallica Scholars Initiative, which supports students enrolled in skilled trade programs at community colleges. The grant helps students offset the financial burden related to attending college, including transportation, specialized equipment, materials, books, protective gear, tuition, fees, and, in special cases, emergency utility, vehicle, and housing needs.

In partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Metallica Scholars Initiative was originally launched in 2019 by AWMH, the band Metallica’s non-profit philanthropic organization. Now in the program’s seventh year, NPC has joined the list of 75 community colleges across the United States and Guam that are participating in the effort.

So far this year, the program has helped fifty-one NPC students continue their pursuit of education in a skilled trade or a direct-to-work program. NPC’s Dean of Career and Technical Education, Dr. Jeremy Raisor, said, “Building a strong workforce is vital to our local economy. These programs offer exceptional opportunities for students to enter and advance in careers across a variety of industries.” He continued, “Due to the generosity of the band Metallica and All Within My Hands, we are paving the way for students to make an impact not only within their own homes, by gaining the skills they need to be able to provide for their families, but in contributing to the sustainability of communities across our region.”

For NPC behavioral health student Jessica Smith, without the assistance of the Metallica Initiative, going to college would be impossible. Now, not only is Jessica enrolled in classes at NPC and benefiting from the program, but six additional members of her family are also learning valuable skills and gaining education in the skilled trades.

She and her husband are the proud parents of thirteen children, ranging in age from 6 to 21. The family resides in a home located in a remote off-grid area east of Snowflake, Arizona. Each week, the family navigates an intricate, 250-mile schedule to get to their respective campus locations for in-person classes.

Her husband, Robert, attends welding classes at night at NPC’s Holbrook campus along with their two teenage sons, Landon and Jordan. Landon and Jordan, who are still in high school, also take morning automotive classes at NPC’s Show Low campus. Their older sister, Serenity, is currently enrolled in NPC’s fire science program in Taylor. Their other sister, Cheyanne, is a full-time cosmetology student at NPC’s Show Low campus. Emma, who is still too young to be a Metallica Scholar, is also taking courses at NPC.

“Without the support of the Metallica Scholars Initiative, we simply wouldn’t be able to do this. There is no way on God’s green earth that I could ever afford to put my kids through college. Never, not even one of them,” she said. “NPC and the Metallica Scholars Initiative have allowed us to learn skilled trades, and given my kids, all of us, opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise have. Thank you, Metallica, and thank you, NPC.”

Antonio “Tony” Higgins is a second-year automotive student at NPC and a proud Metallica Scholar. Growing up, Tony never envisioned college in his future. After spending much of his youth in and out of trouble, including time in the custody of the Department of Corrections, he realized he needed a profound change. “I was tired of getting into trouble,” he said.

Tony had long been interested in mechanics and spent ten years working as a tow truck driver before realizing he wanted to repair vehicles rather than tow them. At 39, he took a leap of faith and enrolled at NPC. “I wish I had done this sooner,” he reflected. “But I’m here now, and I want to learn.” Tony credits his progress to the support of NPC and the Metallica Scholars Initiative and encourages anyone feeling lost to reach out. “They truly have your back.”

For more information about the Metallica Scholars Initiative and the colleges currently supported by All Within My Hands, visit www.allwithinmyhands.org/metallica-scholars. If you are interested in learning more about NPC skilled trade programs and how you might become a Metallica Scholar, visit www.npc.edu/metallica-scholars or reach out to NPC’s Metallica Scholars Coordinator, Bridget Mallams bridget.mallams@npc.edu, or call (928) 536-6277.