3M Automotive Aftermarket Division, along with the Collision Repair Education Foundation, are proud to support the 58 recipients in this year’s 3M Hire Our Heroes awards. The recipients include 54 students that are currently studying collision repair, and who have served or are currently serving in the military.
Each winning veteran student has the opportunity to select $1,500 worth of tools as part of the award. For those students graduating this year, they will have the opportunity to select an additional $1,500 in tools upon graduation and upon getting hired into the collision industry. There are additional $1,000 scholarships for select veterans.
3M Hire Our Heroes Veteran Grant Recipients
Ray Alston – U.S. Army Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, NC
Alexandros Aslanis – U.S. Marines Parkland College, Champaign, IL
Michael Baker – U.S. Army Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Morristown, TN
Peter Beasley – U.S. Air Force Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland, WA
Michael Carroll – U.S. Army Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, NC
James Cash – U.S. Army Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, NC
Matthew Conley – U.S. Army Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, NC
Russell Cook – U.S. Army Great Plains Technology Center, Lawton, OK
David Cortes – U.S. Army Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, NC
Roan Cowart – U.S. Army Universal Technical Institute, Houston, TX
Roger Cox – U.S. Army Moore Norman Technology Center, Norman, OK
William Crowder – U.S. Army Arkansas State University, Newport, AR
John Curlett – U.S. Coast Guard Florida State College, Jacksonville, FL
Lawrence Daniels – U.S. Army Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Oneida, TN
Kris Dindoffer – U.S. Army Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI
Daniel Dwyer – U.S. Army National Guard Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL
Ryan Folker – U.S. Marines Ivy Tech Community College, Fort Wayne, IN
Robert Garrison – U.S. Navy Portland Community College, Portland, OR
Scott Gray – U.S. Air Force Laramie County Community College, Cheyenne, WY
Scott Heise – U.S. Army Manhattan Area Technical College, Manhattan, KS
Alex Henderson – U.S. Army National Guard Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI
Stacey Hildreth – U.S. Army South Western Community College, Creston, IA
Kevin Hill – U.S. Army Universal Technical Institute, Houston, TX
Gerald Howell – U.S. Army WITC, Rice Lake, WI
Willie Hutchinson – U.S. Army Texas State Technical College, Waco, TX
Scot Johnson – U.S. Air Force Great Plains Technology Center, Lawton, OK
Blake Kizer – U.S. Marines Scott Community College, Bettendorf, IA
Charles Kovach – U.S. Marines Highland Community College, Freeport, IL
Billy Logan – U.S. Army National Guard Cleveland County Community College, Shelby, NC
Randell Lute – U.S. Army Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, NC
Marvin Martin – U.S. Army Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, Valdosta, GA
Matthew Moody – U.S. Army Eastfield College, Mesquite, TX
Pedro Moreno – U.S. Army Autry Technology Center, Enid, OK
Christopher Mussel – U.S. Army Reserves Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington, NC
William Plont – U.S. Army National Guard Athens Technical College, Athens, GA
Erick Rebelukag – U.S. Army Walla Walla Community College, Walla Walla, WA
Javier Rey – U.S. Navy Texas State Technical College, Harlingen, TX
Aaron Rhines – U.S. Army Bellingham Technical College, Bellingham, WA
Robert Rioux – U.S. Marines Universal Technical Institute, Houston, TX
Alexander Romero II – U.S. Marines Morgan Community College, Fort Morgan, CO
Dariel Saldana – U.S. Army National Guard Automotive Training Center, Warminster, PA
Aaron Schaffer – U.S. Army National Guard Ivy Tech Community College, Terre Haute, IN
Joseph Schmidt – U.S. Air National Guard Washburn Institute of Technology, Topeka, KS
Ramiro Serrano – U.S. Army Universal Technical Institute, Houston, TX
Doug Smallwood – U.S. Navy Lake Technical College, Eustis, FL
Matthew Smith – U.S. Air Force Lenoir Community College, Kinston, NC
Jacob Talsma – U.S. Army National Guard Ridgewater College, Willmar, MN
Joshua Tapia – U.S. Army Universal Technical Institute, Houston, TX
Brandon Thames – U.S. Marines Itawamba Community College, Tupelo, MS
Austin Vorasith – U.S. Army Reserves DMACC, Ankeny, IA
Eric Wade – U.S. Air Force Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock, AR
Leeland Warren – U.S. Army Morgan County Community College (Fort Morgan, CO
Randall Wright – U.S. Army Great Plains Technology Center, Lawton, OK
In addition, four collision students who have immediate family members who served or are serving in the military were selected as scholarship winners. Each student received an award of $2,500 to help with their education costs.
3M Hire Our Heroes – Veteran Family Award Recipients
Caelan Campbell Automotive Technology Center, Troutman NC
Denovario Goode Gadsden State, Anniston, AL
Ashley McNamara Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI
Vaughn Weaver Kansas City Kansas Community College, Kansas City, KS
This is the fourth year that 3M has partnered with the Collision Repair Education Foundation in support of our industry and our nation's veterans. Since 2013, the 3M Hire Our Heroes program has generated $750,000 to be used toward scholarships and tool grants for military veterans and their family members. Nearly 210 military veterans and their families have already received scholarships and grants.
“Supporting both our industry and our military veterans remains a high priority for us,” said Dale Ross, U.S. Marketing Operations Manager for 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “This year, we were excited to have our customers and 3M employees join us in supporting the 3M Hire Our Heroes program by donating more than $200,000 through the calendar campaign.”
There is still plenty of time to get the 2016 calendar. With a $200 donation to the CREF, shops participating in the Hire Our Heroes July promotion will receive the calendar, window decal, almost $1,000 in free goods, and a commemorative hood custom designed by Chip Foose.
The Collision Repair Education Foundation is looking to help connect these students with industry businesses who would be interested in meeting and potentially hiring them. If your business is interested in hiring one of the winning students, please send your business information including location to the Collision Repair Education Foundation at [email protected] and the organization will help introduce both parties for potential employment opportunities.
About Hire Our Heroes
The 3M Hire Our Heroes grants are available for qualifying returning veterans and family members. Grants may be used for tuition, school fees, tools, textbooks and equipment at qualifying technical schools. For additional information and to apply, visit www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org.
The ultimate goal of the 3M Hire Our Heroes campaign is to support the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in raising awareness for hiring America’s heroes and help drive employment in the collision repair industry for these deserving veterans and their families.
For more information on the 3M Hire Our Heroes campaign, contact Dale Ross, 3M Automotive Aftermarket, at [email protected] or visit www.3mcollision.com/hire.
