KALISPELL — Trade students at Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) in Kalispell recently received a grant from a unique program, the Metallica Scholars Initiative, which is associated with the actual heavy metal band Metallica.
“Yeah, it's pretty surreal. I mean, Montana's a small state and it's pretty crazy to think that, you know, Metallica is doing this for us. It's pretty awesome,” said FVCC welding student Elijah Kushner.
Through Metallica’s All Within My Hands program, FVCC received a $75,000 grant that has allowed 300 students in the occupational trades program to purchase $200 worth of tools, equipment and materials for their classes.
“The trades in general, to get going, a lot of the profession involves costly initial investment on tools, the proper PPE. With this money that we were given by Metallica, it really kind of gives them a jump start to their to their careers, once they leave and go out into the workforce,” said FVCC tools manager John Sinner.
Flathead Valley Community College is the first college in Montana to join the Metalica Scholars Initiative which encompasses 60 schools across the U.S.
“But it's a really cool, cool feeling. And every time you work with a new vendor and you bring up that this is a Metallica foundation kind of program, their ears perk up, and they're like, You mean Metallica, the band? And we're like, yeah, yeah, Metallica, the band is giving our students a leg up over here,” said Sinner.
Students will be receiving the tools they ordered this week to use in class and when they enter the workforce. With prices of goods going up and the trades being an expensive career to start, so this grant means a lot to the students.
“As a school, we just want to say thank you to Metallica for giving us this opportunity to do this. It helps all of us out, and we really do appreciate it,” said Kushner.
