Scholarship shows Metallica Scholar is on the right path
Industrial maintenance student and Metallica Scholar Sidney Allen Spalding came to ECTC because it was accessible, close to home, and had been recommended by numerous friends. Once there, the college became a place where he could grow, start over and find a lasting career.
“I’d gotten divorced and had just been working to make ends meet,” he said. “I sat back and looked at my life. I could feel sorry for myself, or I could tighten down and do something about it.”
Earning the Metallica Scholars Scholarship reinforces that he’s on the right path, Spalding said.
“It shows me that no matter how much I doubt myself, there are people out there who believe in me, and that means a lot,” he said. “Not everybody gets a chance, and the fact that there are people like the All Within My Hands Foundation who are still out there willing to give chances to people that don’t have them, that’s nice.”
Spalding was selected as a Metallica Scholar by Industrial Maintenance Professor Phil Roberts.
I selected Sidney to be a Metallica Scholar because of the dedication, determination, and commitment he has demonstrated toward education and personal growth,” Roberts said. “Sidney has shown a strong willingness to learn, work hard, and take advantage of opportunities to build a successful future.”
In addition to working toward his degree, Spalding also is developing a video game from scratch and writing a book in his spare time.
“It’s a tragic drama book,” he said. “I want to show that through sadness people can prevail, as long as they’re willing to see why they are sad. I hope people read it and apply it to their own lives.”
For now, though, Spalding is focused on earning his degree, something that will provide a career with a safety net and allow him to raise a family and take care of himself for the rest of his life.
“ECTC is providing building blocks that I need to start my career,” Spalding said. “I’m getting the knowledge and the tools that will let me move forward in life in a positive way.”
