Metal Supermarkets Honors Recipients of Trade School Scholarship

Metal Supermarkets
Published: August 24th, 2022

International Metal Supplier Awards $10,000 to Four Individuals Attending Post-Secondary Education in the Trade Industries

August 24, 2022 // Franchising.com // TORONTO, Ont. - Metal Supermarkets is thrilled to announce the four winners of its inaugural Trade School Scholarship. The winners, Alexander Baker of Jefferson City, Missouri; Anthony Forson of Marysville, Ohio; Karli Copeland of New Westminster, British Columbia; and Morgan Robinson of Middletown, Ohio were each awarded the $2,500 scholarship to support their ongoing education.

The scholarship, launched in April in honor of National Welding Month, aims to combat the nationwide shortage of skilled trade workers by supporting those starting on the path of a trade career through attending a post-secondary trade school. Recipients of the scholarship were chosen by a selection committee made up of Metal Supermarkets corporate staff and franchisees from across the US, including Henry Dow of Baltimore, MD; Nick Berchtold of Cleveland, OH; Jason Lloyd of Fort Wayne, IN; and Jesse Johnson of Indianapolis.

“Demand for skilled trade workers is at an all-time high, making awareness and education of these career options of vital importance. Our goal in recent years has been to inform students of the many benefits of investing in a trade career, and our scholarship was created to help support those who are entering this essential, lucrative and highly rewarding career path,” said Stephen Schober, President & CEO of Metal Supermarkets. “Alexander, Anthony, Karli and Morgan each demonstrate a passion and commitment to their chosen trade, and we are proud to be supporting them in their continued education as they prepare to enter the workforce.”

Having gone above and beyond in their pursuit of a career in their chosen trade, the four winners each demonstrated qualities that stood out to the scholarship selection committee.

• Baker transitioned from his previous career as a Navy Hospital Corpsman eight months ago to attend the State Technical College of Missouri and earn an associate’s degree in welding. In those eight months, he has maintained a 4.0 GPA and also participated in the Skills USA Welding Sculpture contest, creating a kinetic sculpture which won the gold medal for Missouri.
• Forson, who is a recent 2022 high school graduate, has already overcome several obstacles in his life. At age 11 he was placed in foster care and after living with three different families over the course of the next several years, he was finally adopted at age 14 in January of 2018. Since then, Forson has worked hard to maintain strong grades in school while also attending a career technical school where he gained experience in welding and wood-working along with several other skills.
• Copeland has always had a passion for metal working and wanted to pursue welding and fabrication after high school but was discouraged by the stigma of it being “a man’s job.” After hearing about the Trades Discovery for women program, she decided to start the next chapter in her career and pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a Metal Fabricator.
• A committed student, Robinson attended Butler Tech’s Welding Technology program while in high school, serving as the student ambassador for her program. She also earned a welding certification that led her to her first industry job at ADS Manufacturing. She plans to attend Hobart Institute of Welding Technology to expand her skills in welding and work towards her future career.

Applications opened in April during National Welding Month and closed on June 30. To be eligible, candidates needed a High School Diploma, GED or equivalent educational degree and also needed to have already been accepted and enrolled into a post-secondary trade school for the upcoming semester. In a competitive scholarship, the selection committee aimed to celebrate well-rounded students who demonstrated academic rigor, excellence in leadership, and commitment to their respective technical field.

SOURCE Metal Supermarkets