Metal Supermarkets awards $10,000 in trade school scholarships

Toronto-based Metal Supermarkets has announced the four winners of its inaugural Trade School Scholarship. The winners—Alexander Baker of Jefferson City, Mo.; Anthony Forson of Marysville, Ohio; Karli Copeland of New Westminster, B.C.; and Morgan Robinson of Middletown, Ohio—each received a $2,500 scholarship.

Launched in April 2022 in honor of National Welding Month, the scholarship aims to combat the nationwide shortage of skilled trade workers by supporting those starting on the path of a trade career through attending a postsecondary trade school. Recipients of the scholarship were chosen by a selection committee made up of Metal Supermarkets corporate staff and franchisees from across the U.S.

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 in January 2022 to attend the State Technical College of Missouri and earn an associate degree in welding. He maintained a 4.0 GPA and also participated in the Skills USA Welding Sculpture contest, creating a kinetic sculpture that won the gold medal for Missouri.
• Forson, a 2022 high school graduate, has already overcome several obstacles in his life. He was placed in foster care at age 11, and after living with three different families, he was adopted at age 14 in January 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 woodworking.
• Copeland 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 British Columbia Institute of Technology’s 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 to her first industry job at ADS Mfg. She plans to attend Hobart Institute of Welding Technology to expand her welding skills.