WARREN, Mich. – A retired business owner in Warren is using his personal story to help students find success in the trades. Ed Syrocki, whose passion for classic cars is now driving opportunity, previously ran a classic car restoration shop.
Now, he is meeting the students whose futures he is helping to shape through a scholarship he created, which is fueling something entirely new.
For Ed Syrocki, working on classic cars was not just a job -- it was a lifelong passion.
“I never really did baseball, football, or any of that stuff, so most of the things I did were mechanical,” He recalled. “I was in the garage tinkering with lawnmowers. I had a lawnmower that would go 40 miles an hour down the road.”
Even after polio left him using crutches and later a motorized scooter, Ed operated EMS Classic Car Care in Warren for three decades.
“I still worked on cars on the scooter -- no problem,” he said. “I could go all over the place when I wanted to,” he said.
But when he struggled to find enough skilled help to keep the business running, Ed chose to make a different kind of investment.
“I started the scholarship because I was just sitting around at home, thinking, what do I do next?” he recalled. “The building is closed. I’ve got my man cave. I need to help somehow.”
Today, in his old shop-turned-man cave, Ed is meeting two of the Macomb Community College students who are benefiting from his scholarship for the first time.
Shaun Gianino is studying design and development, while Maria Cantu aims to become a mechanical engineer. For both students, the scholarship has been life-changing.
“It helps a lot because it takes some of that burden off of me, so I won’t have to worry about at least a quarter,” Maria said.
Shaun added, “Being able to help my family with mortgage payments, feed the family, and help everyone around me—that’s what I like about this scholarship.”
The hope is that this garage -- powered by passion -- can now fuel a new generation of skilled tradespeople across Southeast Michigan.