Countless hours paying off: The Rams leave as runners up in student competition

By Dani Sheehan. 

Colorado State University won second place in the 2024 Roofing Alliance Construction Management Student Competition during IRE. Hear about their experience entering the world of roofing. 

In case you missed it, five incredible teams presented during the Roofing Alliance Construction Management Student Competition on day two of the International Roofing Expo (IRE) 2024 this year. This event marked the tenth anniversary of the student competition, which promotes careers in roofing industry management. Ten schools submitted written proposals in November 2023 for the judges to review, and the five finalist teams were invited to Las Vegas to showcase their oral presentations. 

The student project this year was the Formula 1™ Paddock Building in Las Vegas, Nevada. Taking second place this year, Colorado State University (CSU) was among the five finalist teams. Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with the team after their presentation for a live interview from our sound stage sponsored by SRS Distribution. 

Team captain Will Macguire shared the team’s thoughts on their presentation: “I think it went well today. I think our team was very well prepared and well-rehearsed and I think we have a good chance of placing this year.” 

They also had the opportunity to walk the exhibit floor and explore the world of roofing. The team learned some interesting facts about roofing, but one booth stood out to them. Will explained, “Carson brought it up during our question phase of the presentation. It was a paver system with pedestals that could move at different degrees. So, it helped slope the roof when it was draining, which was cool.” 

In their program, Will said they only see roofing as part of general contracting. This competition exposed them more thoroughly to roofing and showed them how interesting the industry is as a career option. When asked about what they are looking for in a prospective employer, team members Ryan Schmick and Dennis Sispera agreed that there needs to be a good work life balance. Caleb Borton added, “Like these guys said, I think the culture is what matters to me the most. If we have people that we work with that we like, I want to be there. That’s all. It’s all about the people.” 

Watch the full interview below to hear more about the student competition. Interviews from the other student competitors can be found on our YouTube playlist.