www.mrca.org — Midwest Roofer 29 Industry News The energy was electric at the 2025 International Roofing Expo (IRE) as the Bradley University team wasåinterviewed and shared their story about the Roofing Alliance Construction Management Student Competition. Although the team did not place this year, they have a long history of success in the competition. The team reflected on the challenges, growth and excitement they experienced through this prestigious event. Now in its eleventh year, the Roofing Alliance’s Annual Construction Management Student Competition continues to build momentum and inspire future industry professionals. Held in conjunction with the IRE, the 2025 competition took place in San Antonio, Texas, and introduced students to roofing as a dynamic and rewarding career path. It also provided valuable networking opportunities with peers, faculty and Roofing Alliance members. This year’s competition project, provided by Beldon Roofing Company of San Antonio, challenged teams to develop a comprehensive bid proposal for the reroofing of the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Antonio Airport Hotel. Working closely with contractor mentors, students prepared detailed bid packages that demonstrated project management, estimating and safety skills. Finalists were invited to the IRE to present their proposals live to a panel of industry judges. They also attended the Roofing Alliance’s Welcome Reception, toured the project site and participated in NRCA’s Industry Awards Ceremony where winning teams were recognized on stage. Led by team captain Uriel de la Torre, the Bradley University group included Francesco Fricano, Ethan Sountris, Erik Avila and Matthew Leazer. Each student brought a unique academic background with majors spanning construction management, civil engineering and business management. Together they embraced the opportunity to dive deep into a sector not heavily covered in their coursework: roofing. Uriel noted that while roofing was familiar from a distance, the competition pushed them into a much deeper understanding of the layers, materials and technical aspects involved. “This competition really makes you dive into the specs and understand what the purpose for each roofing layer is,” he shared. Several team members learned about the competition from previous participants. But this year, it was Uriel who had competed the year before and acted as a mentor and advocate for the experience. The lure of traveling for the competition was certainly a bonus but it quickly became clear to the Bradley students that the event offered much more, a chance to sharpen skills, deepen knowledge and expand career horizons. When asked about their favorite parts of the experience, the team shared similar sentiments. Ethan compared it to a mini senior project that expanded their academic scope. Erik and others emphasized how much they learned, especially By Heidi J. Ellsworth Continued on page 30 Bradley University students shine in the 2025 Roofing Alliance Student Competition Students share the importance of culture in the next generation of roofing.
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