The 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division and the Collision Repair Education Foundation are honoring 47 recipients of the 2017 3M Hire Our Heroes awards.
The recipients include 41 students who are studying collision repair, and who have served or are serving in the military.
As part of the award, each student got to select $1,500 worth of tools. Students graduating this year have the opportunity to select an additional $1,500 in tools upon graduation and upon getting hired into the collision repair industry.
There were additional $1,000 scholarships for select veterans.
The 2017 3M Hire Our Heroes veteran and active-duty grant recipients are:
- Arthur Smith, Wiregrass Technical College, Valdosta, Ga. (Air Force)
- Brandi Scott, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, N.C. (Army)
- Charmoines Jordan, Coastal Carolina Community College, Jacksonville, N.C. (Marines)
- Christopher Abrahim, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, N.C. (Army)
- Christopher Griffin, Manhattan Area Technical College, Manhattan, Kan. ( Army)
- Clevious Porter, Gadsden State Community College, Anniston, Ala. (Army)
- Curtis Jones, Lawson State Community College, Birmingham, Ala. (Army)
- Dean Brackenbury, Manhattan Area Technical College, Manhattan, Kan. (Air Force)
- Devan Westerlund, Suncoast Technical College, Sarasota, Fla. (Army)
- German Escobar, Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, Texas (Marines)
- Isaias Velazquez, HCC Ybor City Campus Training Center, Tampa, Fla. (Marines)
- Jason Sherrell, Lincoln College of Technology, Nashville (Army)
- Jason Coleman, Gadsden State Community, Gadsden, Ala. (Army)
- Jeffery Dancy, Manhattan Area Technical College, Manhattan, Kan. (Army)
- Joey Paredez, Technical College of Applied Technology, Shelbyville, Tenn. (Army)
- John Horchak, Cleveland Community College, Shelby, N.C. (Army)
- John Pitts, Lincoln College of Technology, Nashville (Army)
- Jorge Molina, Miami Lakes Technical College, Miami Lakes, Fla. (Army)
- Lawrence Harris, College of Lake County, Chicago (Navy)
- Lewayne Goodwin, Gadsden State Community College, Gadsden, Ala. (Army)
- Linda Myers, Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Knoxville, Tenn. (Air Force)
- Marcus Chambers, Manhattan Area Technical College, Manhattan, Kan. (Army)
- Matthew Banks, Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Athens, Tenn. (Army)
- Michael Wenger, Suncoast Technical College, Sarasota, Fla. (Army)
- Richard Gales, Universal Technical Institute, Houston (Army)
- Ronald Wendling, Southwest Technical College, Fennimore (Navy)
- Shaun Moylan, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, Valdosta, Ga. (Air Force)
- Morris Rothfeldt, Lincoln College of Technology, Nashville (Marines, Army)
- Anthony Armstrong, Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Crossville, Tenn. (Army)
- Branden Kleppe, Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo, Iowa (Army)
- Clement Mizeyimana, Universal Technical institute, Houston (Army)
- Enock Onegera, Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park (Army)
- Hector Corujo, Texas State Technical College, Waco, Texas (Army)
- Jose Manuel, Texas State Technical College, Waco, Texas (Army)
- Mitchell Edwards, Eastfield Community College, Mesquite, Texas (Army)
- Richard Kasper, Wilkes Community College, Wilkesboro, N.C. (Navy)
- Robert Richard, Stanly Community College, Albemarle, N.C. (Air Force)
- Steven Norton, Cleveland Community College, Shelby, N.C. (Marines)
- Summer Reierson, South Plains College, Levelland, Texas (Navy)
- Vicky Lambert, Lake Technical College, Eustis, Fla. (Air Force)
In addition, seven 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.
They are:
- Seth Thompson, Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis
- Rachel Nunley, Great Plains Technology Center, Lawton, Okla.
- Tyler Thompson, Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis
- Michelle Carroll, Metro Community College, Omaha, Neb.
- Andrew Foster, Stanly Community College, Albermarle, N.C.
- Mitchell Franklin, Lake Career and Technical Center, Camdenton, Mo.
- Kimberly Sanchez, Norwalk High School, Norwalk, Calif.
This is the fifth year that 3M has partnered with the Collision Repair Education Foundation to support U.S. veterans. Since 2013, the 3M Hire Our Heroes program has generated $825,000 to be used toward scholarships and tool grants for military veterans and their family members. Nearly 270 military veterans and their families have already received scholarships and grants.
If your business is interested in hiring one of the winning students, 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.
