WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 30, 2024) — Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) will receive $10,000 as part of the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). This marks NOVA's fourth year participating in the program, which has previously provided $175,000 to help transform the lives and futures of our students.
In its fourth year, NOVA’s MSI funding will focus on reducing financial barriers for students pursuing certifications in high-demand sectors in our region, including healthcare, information technology (IT) and skilled trades.
A LOOK BACK:
- Year One: NOVA used its MSI funding to support 30 non–native English–speaking students in improving their English skills, enabling them to start their certified nurse aide (CNA) preparation training. *NOVA students completing CNA (certified nurse aide) have a post-credential wage increase of 126%.
- Year Two: NOVA served 97 students in IT, ESL and healthcare training.
- NOVA opened the funding to support a new CompTIA® IT Fundamentals course and the Google IT Support Professional certification, serving 71 students pursuing careers in high-demand sectors such as IT.
- These pre-career IT certifications remove barriers for NOVA students and set them up to successfully stack credentials, including CompTIA® A+ and CompTIA® Network+.
- *NOVA students completing CompTIA® A+ and CompTIA® Network + have a post-credential wage increase of 50% (CompTIA® A+) and 64% (CompTIA® Network+).
- Year Three: NOVA served 13 students in healthcare and ESL training. Students pursued their CNA and licensed practical nurse (LPN) certifications.
Since MSI’s founding in 2019, Metallica’s foundation — All Within My Hands (AWMH) — has been working with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to directly support career and technical education programs across the United States. To date, AWMH has invested more than $10.5M in the American workforce, and MSI has a presence at 60 colleges across the U.S. and the territory of Guam.
“Metallica, through their foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), is changing how people view and engage with the trades in this country, and it is working,” said Peter Delgrosso, Executive Director of AWMH.
“I am happy to congratulate the newest Metallica Scholarship Initiative colleges. The sustained investment in workforce education by the All Within My Hands Foundation has benefitted thousands of community college students,” said Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of AACC. “This work helps to advance skills education and the nation’s workforce pipeline. We are honored to continue this partnership to provide critical resources that eliminate barriers for students to participate in skills education programs that lead to family-sustaining wage careers.”
“Northern Virginia Community College is honored to once again be selected as a Metallica Scholars recipient. This program is a win for our students, our local workforce, and our community,” said Steve Partridge, NOVA Vice President of Strategy, Research and Workforce Innovation. NOVA is the only community college in Virginia to benefit from the Metallica Scholars Initiative.
To see the full list of the 60 colleges supported by AWMH and learn more about the initiative, please visit AWMH's Metallica Scholars page.
NOVA MSI: STUDENT SUCCESS STORIES
- Heavy Metal Band Helps NOVA Student Kick-Start His IT Career
David Proakis is grateful for Metallica. Through the Metallica Scholars program, he received much-needed financial support to take an IT class at NOVA and earn his first IT certification. Now, he’s pursuing a career in this high-wage, in-demand field. - Catching up With a Former NOVA Metallica Scholar: What’s Next?
Matthew Marquez continues to be grateful for the support MSI has given him. He strongly believes in this scholarship program and hopes the band will continue to help others unlock new opportunities in their lives. - Heavy Metal Band’s Softer Side: Helping NOVA Students!
NOVA student Allison Aliaga says All Within My Hands was crucial in helping her take that first step toward achieving her dream of helping people as part of a medical team and ultimately becoming a doctor.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kathy Parkinson, NOVA PIO, KParkinson@nvcc.edu
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About Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA)
Northern Virginia Community College is the largest institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia and one of America's largest community colleges. NOVA enrolls more than 75,000 students at its six campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield and Woodbridge and through NOVA Online.
About All Within My Hands
All Within My Hands (AWMH) is a non-profit, philanthropic organization conceived by the members and management of Metallica and dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger and other critical local services. 100% of donations go directly to local organizations that the Foundation supports. To date, All Within My Hands’ collective efforts have raised over $15M— providing $8.2M in grants to career and technical education programs, over $3.6M to combat food insecurity, and more than $3.5M to disaster relief efforts.
About the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
As the voice of the nation’s community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) delivers educational and economic opportunity for more than 10 million diverse students in search of the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC’s member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers, and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver on the mission of increasing economic mobility for all.