Metallica Scholar finds senses of stability and home at Polk State
Christopher Needham had a difficult upbringing and “had to do what I had to do to make ends meet.” But his life is now a bit easier thanks to his determination, a scholarship from Metallica’s…
Polk State Metallica Scholar goes from strenuous jobs to rewarding career
From working in roofing, construction, truck driving, and warehouses, Billy McGahee has spent most of his life jumping from one physically-demanding job to another. At 36, he decided it was time for a change and…
Polk State, Winter Haven Leadership Development in Public Administration partnership celebrates first class
Polk State College and the City of Winter Haven are celebrating the first class of city employees who have completed the Leadership Development in Public Administration (LDPA) Program. Launched this year, LDPA provides quality professional…
For Polk State Metallica Scholar, machining is a family affair
Chassidy Houchin is graduating this week with Polk State College’s first group of Metallica Scholars part of the Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Machining class supported by a Metallica’s All Within My Hands grant. For Houchin,…
Metallica Scholar: Polk State provides tangible skills that will never leave you
Jesse Williams worked a variety of trade jobs since graduating high school in 2010 and went back to school in 2018, when he enrolled in Polk State College’s Manual Machining Program. “It was a fairly…
Get There: Polk State partners with Florida Department of Education on workforce education initiative
Polk State College is excited to join forces with the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) on a new workforce education initiative aimed at raising awareness of short-term career and technical education programs. Get There Florida…
Become a machinist for free in eight weeks
Polk State College is proud to be one of 15 schools across the country to receive a $100,000 grant from All Within My Hands as part of the Metallica Scholars Initiative. This initiative is providing…
Polk State Masters of Machining: CNC grad fast tracks her success by learning a trade
For Darah Greenwald, college never seemed financially in reach and after one semester of taking general education courses, she realized that the traditional college route was not for her. Instead, she fast tracked her success…
Polk State Masters of Machining: CNC Machining grad finds his path as machinist
Robert Pettypiece is a successful machinist who found his path and high-wage career as a graduate of Polk State Corporate College’s Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Machining Program. He’ll admit that school was never his strong…
Polk State Masters of Machining: “Metalhead” makes part for NASA
Changing a car tire was the extent of Madison Gibbons’ technical skills when she enrolled in Polk State Corporate College’s Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining Program. But after four short months of training, she is…