Piston Awards 20 Scholarships to its Fall Class of 2024 Scholars

Filling a Need

The Spring 2024 application period presented a unique opportunity for Piston to increase its number of scholars for the Fall. More students applied for a scholarship than ever before, proving there is an interest and a need to get more kids to school with a wrench in hand. With this many talented young people looking to become great restorers and mechanics, the Piston Foundation chose to award scholarships to as many of them as possible. Now there are 20 scholars on the horizon, twice as many as Piston first expected. Unexpected opportunities can indeed lead to exciting outcomes.

Putting More Horsepower in Piston

The more students Piston can reach, the greater the impact will be in flipping the car community’s future from graying to growing. Since the scholarship program’s inception in 2022, 37 students have received a turbo-boost to their career. The recent increase in interested applicants shows there is a much wider world of aspiring auto technicians in need of career assistance. So, it’s time to fine-tune the engines and fill up the gas tanks because Piston has never had a stronger reason to build things bigger and better.

New Technicians In Shops

Piston’s mission is to help solve the technician shortage so the collector car community can continue to thrive. To date, ten Piston Scholars have graduated from their auto-tech programs and are now working in the collector car industry, including Patrick Otis Co., Race Kraft & Design, Okoboji Classic Cars, The Garage Automotive Museum, Paul Russell and Company, Tony’s Muscle Cars, and private collections. As Piston delivers on its mission, this pipeline of new talent will continue to make an impact by adding new technicians to the industry.

Meet the 2024 Piston Scholars

The folks at Piston are pleased and excited to welcome the next group of scholars into the fold. Some are returning scholars from last year, many others are new, but all of them share a similar dream to pursue an exciting career with collector cars. Without further ado, here are the Piston Foundation’s Fall 2024 Piston Scholars.

Spring 2025 Scholarship Applications

Our scholarship application for Spring 2025 is now open. The deadline is September 30, 2024. If you know a deserving student who is considering a career as a collector car technician, refer them to our Piston Scholarship Program. They might be one of our next Piston Scholars.