Piston Scholar 2022 Yearbook
The Inaugural Class Of Piston Scholars
In 2022, The Piston Foundation awarded scholarships to the inaugural class of Piston Scholars—10 aspiring restoration technicians who are part of the next generation. All of them have impressed us with their dedication, passion, and drive for the skilled trades.
This yearbook is a collection of interviews with our scholars in which they share the roots of their interest in collector cars and the challenges they face in building a career in the auto restoration trades.
Victoria Bruno Is Turning Her Hobby Into a Restoration Career
In the “olden” days it might have surprised most people in the collector car world to meet a woman who had the same passion as they had for restoring cars and their engines. But, these are different times. Barriers have been knocked down and Victoria Bruno is part of a new generation of skilled technicians.
Piston Scholar Jacob Koehn Shifts To a Restoration Career
Not all college students are in their teens or early 20s. Some return to higher education after years at “regular” jobs that don’t satisfy their need for personal accomplishment. Jacob Koehn took that turn into auto restoration and a Piston Scholarship helped him.
“A lot of the technicians right now are retiring and there’s a lot of knowledge that’s not being passed down. […] The younger generation is the gap that needs to be filled to keep the industry alive and keep these cars on the road.”— Zoe Carmichael, 2022 Piston Scholar
Piston Scholar Edwin Buiter Steps into Car Restoration
Edwin Buiter, of Ireton, Iowa, is an inaugural recipient of a Piston Scholarship and a student at McPherson College, at just 20 years old, has a collection of four classic cars and proudly and happily works on each of them. While he doesn’t have the budget of most classic car owners, he says, “cars are my passion and I make sacrifices in my life in order to own and maintain my vehicles.”
Piston Scholar Ethan Heck is Off to the Races
21-year-old Ethan Heck is a student at Lanier Technical College in Gainesville, Georgia, enrolled in the Motorsports Vehicle Technology program. While most recipients of the inaugural Piston Scholarships focus primarily on acquiring the skills to restore and/or work on classic and older cars, Ethan “stumbled across videos of stage rallying on the Internet,” at a young age and instantly knew he wanted to be a racing mechanic.
Piston Scholar Zoe Carmichael Loves Her Volkswagen
Zoe Carmichael, 27, is on the verge of turning her knack for repairing her beloved Volkswagen into a restoration profession. She is a non-traditional student at McPherson College and one of the inaugural recipients of the Piston Fund Scholarships in 2022 for students who wish to pursue hands-on careers in the collector car industry.
Piston Scholar Sean Whetstone is Dreaming of Collector Cars
The Cavallino Classic hosted The Piston Foundation and three Piston Scholars at this year’s event. The Foundation presented a panel discussion about the challenges that keep young car enthusiasts from pursuing careers as collector car technicians. Industry expert Paul Russell joined our scholars on the panel.
“Everyone is interested in cars, whether it is the paint, the body lines, the mechanics of it, there’s something for everybody […] there’s a lot of young people who have the interest but they don’t know how to get there …” — Jacob Koehn, 2022 Piston Scholar
Piston Scholar Jasper Fedders Learns the Tricks of His Trade
From searching Google and YouTube videos for tech tips to finally taking courses at McPherson College, Jasper Fedders is closer to finding his niche in the car restoration world. He’s worked hard to pursue his dream and he’s got real-world advice for aspiring technicians and their parents.
Piston Scholar Joshua Warner is Focused on the Inside Job
From reassembling chainsaw motors to studying automotive restoration at McPherson College, Piston Scholar Joshua Warner has come to the realization that becoming a custom automotive upholsterer is his life’s goal.
Auto Restoration Students at the Cavallino Classic
The Cavallino Classic hosted The Piston Foundation and three Piston Scholars at this year’s event. The Foundation presented a panel discussion about the challenges that keep young car enthusiasts from pursuing careers as collector car technicians. Industry expert Paul Russell joined our scholars on the panel.
Everything You Don’t Know About the Next Generation
At the Cavallino Classic 2023, The Piston Foundation presented a first-of-its-kind discussion panel about the challenges that keep young car enthusiasts from pursuing careers as collector car technicians. The discussion, which featured the voices of auto restoration students, Raul Russel, John Dega, and Jeff Mason.
“It’s through the Piston Foundation that I’ve been able to achieve my dreams and attain my goals through their support of not just me, but also of educating the next generation of automotive restoration specialists.”— Victoria Bruno, 2022 Piston Scholar
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Give to What You Love
Make a gift that helps the next generation access the education and training they need to begin a career as a classic car technician. Gifts of any size are appreciated and will be used to fund our scholarship and apprenticeship programs.
Sponsor a Piston Scholar
Piston Foundation scholarships are awarded to aspiring technicians to help them begin an auto restoration career. Give to the car culture you love. 100% goes to fund scholarships.
Cars for Piston Scholars
Turn your collector car into education and hands-on training for aspiring collector car technicians. Your car can change lives. 100% goes to fund scholarships.
Give to What You Love
Make a gift that helps the next generation access the education and training they need to begin a career as a classic car technician. Gifts of any size are appreciated and will be used to fund our scholarship and apprenticeship programs.
Sponsor a Piston Scholar
Piston Foundation scholarships are awarded to aspiring technicians to help them begin an auto restoration career. Give to the car culture you love. 100% goes to fund scholarships.
Cars for Piston Scholars
Turn your collector car into education and hands-on training for aspiring collector car technicians. Your car can change lives. 100% goes to fund scholarships.
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