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������Ƶ graduate Grant Casebeer was one of the first scholarship recipients of the Metallica Scholars Initiative at ������Ƶ. Now a Certified Flight Instructor, Casebeer is building flight hours toward his goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Grant Casebeer feels most at home in the sky. He says he discovered his calling for flight when he took the control of a plane for the first time.

“I love being up in the air. It's almost relaxing,” says Casebeer. “A lot of people say when you fly, it clears your head because you're only focused on flying. You forget about everything else.”

The ������Ƶ graduate is one step closer to reaching his goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot, thanks to the Metallica Scholars Initiative. Casebeer received a $700 scholarship during his final semester at ������Ƶ through the initiative, which is funded by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands. The award allowed him to complete his Multi-Engine Instructor Certification, the final requirement needed to graduate with his Professional Pilot associate degree.

With that final certification in hand, Casebeer completed his degree in Summer 2024 as well as earned a $5-per-hour raise as a Certified Flight Instructor at the ������Ƶ Riverside Community Campus & Aviation Center.

“Flight instructing is one way to build flight hours quicker,” Casebeer explains. “The goal is to reach about 1,250 flight hours, and that’s when I could potentially go to an airline. The scholarship definitely helped with that.”

������Ƶ joined the Metallica Scholars Initiative’s sixth cohort in July 2024. The program aims to support community colleges across the U.S. by providing substantial grants to enhance career and technical education programs.

With support from the nonprofit, ������Ƶ is focused on enhancing its Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing programs to address local industry needs and improve student outcomes. Casebeer was one of 44 students to receive the first of four rounds of scholarships from the Metallica Scholars Initiative.

“Grant exemplifies the kind of student the Metallica Scholars Initiative is designed to support. He is motivated, hardworking, and committed to reaching his goals,” says Julie Porterfield, Dean of Science and Aeronautics. “These scholarships are making it possible for more students to earn the credentials they need to start working without being held back by financial barriers.”

Casebeer, a 2020 Collinsville High School graduate and Tulsa Achieves student, earned every Professional Pilot certification ������Ƶ offers: Private, Instrument, Commercial, Multi-Engine Commercial, Flight Instructor, Flight Instructor Instrument, and Multi-Engine Instructor certifications.

Now, as a flight instructor, he helps others reach the same milestones he once worked toward.

“Each person learns differently, so I adjust how I teach. One thing might work great for one student, and another might just look at me blankly,” he says. “I try to be supportive and keep them motivated, because it’s tough. It’s a lot of self-study, and no one’s going to be there every hour telling you what to do. You have to want it.”

Casebeer credits his own success to the instructors who pushed him to stay sharp and think critically.

“I’ve had great instructors along the way who taught me different ways to do things and kept me in the books,” says Casebeer. “They challenged me, and it set me up for success, so that’s what I want to do for my students.”

One of the proudest moments of his flight career so far has been his first solo flight.

“It’s a huge achievement. You’ve been working your way to it for a while, and then you finally get in the plane by yourself and go,” says Casebeer. “I don't call myself a daredevil, but I like the adrenaline. It’s very exciting.”

As he builds hours toward the next step of his career—applying to a commercial airline—Casebeer hopes others will consider the path he chose.

“It’s never too late to go fly,” he says. “Don’t count yourself out because you think you’re too old or can’t learn it. We have students of all ages. We welcome everyone.”