Oxnard College receives $100K from Metallica: Grant will support culinary arts, dental hygiene, fire academy students

Oxnard College culinary arts students will benefit from Metallica grant. Photo submitted

Metallica’s music was always in the background while Daisy Delgado was growing up because her older brother was into the heavy metal band. But she never considered herself a big fan — until now.

The 29-year-old Simi Valley resident is a student in Oxnard College’s dental hygiene program, which is getting a big boost from the Grammy-winning band that’s among the most successful of all time, selling over 125 million records since the band’s founding in 1981.

Six years ago Metallica’s members and managers announced the formation of the “All Within My Hands Foundation,” named for one of their songs. The charity supports workforce education, fights against hunger and supports communities in times of disaster, and recently donated $200,000 to the Maui Strong Fund to assist victims of the devastating wildfire and help with recovery.

Oxnard College was recently selected to receive a $100,000 grant from the charity’s Metallica Scholar’s Initiative which supports 42 community colleges across 33 states and has helped over 6,000 students pursuing careers in the trades. The grant for Oxnard College will support students in the culinary arts, dental hygiene and Fire Academy programs and will pay for expensive equipment students are required to purchase. Culinary arts students will receive professional-grade knife kits and fire academy cadets will get fire-safety boots that cost over $250. Dental hygiene students will receive help paying for costly dental instruments that are required to participate in the program.

While Delgado has never been to a Metallica concert, she said she does have a favorite song. “‘Nothing Else Matters’ is particularly my favorite song of theirs. So yeah, it’s very interesting how full circle this little detail about my childhood came around to my adult life,” Delgado said.

The grant is an “incredible honor,” Delgado said. She added that the Oxnard College dental hygiene program should be celebrated not only for what it offers its students but also because it provides low-cost dental services to the community and aims to educate people about the importance of dental health.

“I can’t thank Metallica enough. They’re relieving some financial stress. Being a student is complicated. It’s very expensive,” she said. “So yeah, we are definitely very proud to get within this program.”

In a video posted on the foundation’s website, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said he and the other members were happy to add 11 new community colleges, including Oxnard College, to the program this year.

“Every program is different just as every student is different. And it’s been incredibly rewarding to assist students in following their passion and making a better life for themselves,” Ulrich said.

The Metallica Scholars Initiative was launched in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, and started off primarily supporting manufacturing programs before branching out into other fields of study such as hospitality and firefighting technology. So far, the charity has invested over $6 million in career and technical education at the local level.

“The Metallica Scholars Initiative is so important to us because we are seeing results,” Ulrich said. “Five years in, with the help of community colleges across the country, we are helping people fill these essential jobs which require skills and training. We are so proud and grateful that we can facilitate this program.”

Oxnard College Dean of Career Education Dr. Isaac Rodriguez Lupercio said the chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District received notification from the organization that it was looking to expand the program. Lupercio realized it would be a great benefit to many students because some of the programs the college offers require costly supplies. For example, dental hygiene students are required to spend about $10,000 on dental instruments. Thanks to the Metallica Scholars Initiative, they will be getting about $3,500 each to help cover that cost.

“A lot of our students come from underserved communities, from low-income backgrounds and depend on financial aid to not just pay for their classes, but also pay for some of their textbooks and equipment. So we hope that this is going to be one less thing that they have to worry about, how they’re going to come up with these funds,” Lupercio said. “We recognize that the majority of our students also work besides going to school, so ultimately, we hope that this is going to be beneficial for their academic success.”

Lupercio said he was “ecstatic” when he learned Oxnard College had been chosen by the All Within My Hands Foundation

“It’s been fantastic to learn more about the work that the foundation has been able to do with different institutions to promote career education programs across the nation,” he said. “It was amazing to see that a band with such a legacy in the music industry has shown dedication and commitment towards career education programs across the nation.”

For more information on the Metallica Scholars Initiative at Oxnard College, visit oxnardcollegefoundation.org/metallica-scholars/.

More information about the All Within My Hands Foundation is available online at www.allwithinmyhands.org.

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