Arkansas State University-Newport announced Thursday that Collision Repair Technology recent graduate William Crowder has been selected as a recipient of the Collision Repair Education Foundation “Hire our Heroes” grant.

A native of Jonesboro, Crowder applied for the grant as a veteran of the United States Army, where he served in the 82^nd Airborne Division.  The grant, funded by the 3M corporation, was awarded for an initial amount of $1,500 in tools utilized in the Collision Repair field.  Upon employment, Crowder will receive another $3,000 in equipment.

“Not only are we extremely proud of William as a recipient of the ‘Hire our Heroes’ grant, but we are also very thankful to him for the sacrifices he made in serving our country,” said Robert Summers, ASUN Dean for Applied Science.   “His hard work as a student was recognized last week when he graduated from the Collision Repair Technology program, and we know that he will be successful as he enters the workforce, aided by the tools that he received as a result of the grant.”