Ivy Tech Community College Northeast automotive technology student Ryan Folker recently selected more than $4,500 in tools and equipment as the recipient of the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s (CREF) 3M Hire Our Heroes tool grant for 2016.

Since 2013, 3M has partnered with CREF in support of the collision repair industry and American veterans. During this time, 3M has donated more than $500,000 to be used toward scholarships and tool grants for individuals who served or are currently serving in the military and their family members. Folker is one of sixty-one winners from across the country this year who had the opportunity to select tools and equipment to help in his automotive repair education and toward employment after graduation.

“I’m in the process of becoming a partner at The Twiston Piston in Milford, Ind., and these tools mean a lot to me because they exceed the basics of what I use in my work by quite a bit,” Folker says.

Folker served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years and attained the rank of sergeant before enrolling at Ivy Tech Northeast.

Andrew Scruton-Wilson, a collision repair specialist with the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division, says the 3M Hire Our Heroes program is about “giving back to those individuals who protect our freedom. And I’m happy that 3M is working with colleges like Ivy Tech Northeast to provide the education and resources that allow students to repair the newest technology on cars.”

Ivy Tech Northeast’s Technology Division Dean Darrel Kesler adds, “It’s great to see 3M supporting military veterans by giving them a jumpstart on their civilian careers. Ivy Tech Northeast provides the training, and 3M helps by pitching in with tools and equipment.”