Scholarships

Roofing Alliance Names 2026-27 Melvin Kruger Scholarship Recipients

Thirteen new recipients join 12 renewal scholars as the organization awards $114,000 for the academic year

Image courtesy https://unsplash.com/@sharonmccutcheon; edited by Tanja Kern

The Roofing Alliance announced the recipients of its 2026-27 Melvin Kruger Scholarship Awards, approving 13 new scholarships and 12 renewal scholarships totaling $114,000.

The program offers three scholarship opportunities and is open to employees of roofing industry companies, their spouses and dependent children. Construction management students enrolled at the undergraduate level and students attending career and technical education programs or schools may also apply, regardless of roofing industry affiliation.

The 13 new scholarship recipients are:

Garrett Beckstead, Construction Management, Louisiana State University
Nasheed Benjamin, Construction Science Management, Tuskegee University
Jaleni Diaz De Leon, Construction Science Management, Colorado State University
Carter Dominique, Construction Management, Ohio State University
Tanner Gawith, Construction Science Management, Tuskegee University
Sascha Oliveira, Sports Management, Penn State York
Rylee Raukits, Construction Management, University of Florida
Yahir Reyes-Morga, Architectural Technology – 3D Scanning & Building Information Modeling, Forsyth Technical Community College
Alessandro Rignanese, Construction Management, Florida International University
Ashwin Varadhan, Architecture, Auburn University
Norman Warcholik, Business Management, Arizona State University
Austin Ziringer, Civil Engineering, Columbus State Community College
Kyle Ziringer, Construction Systems Management and Business Administration, Ohio State University

“Scholarships are one of the most meaningful ways we can invest in the future of our industry,” said Roofing Alliance Executive Director Alison LaValley. “By supporting students pursuing careers in construction management and related fields, we're not only helping them achieve their educational goals—we're strengthening the workforce and ensuring the roofing industry has the talented leaders it needs for tomorrow.”

The Roofing Alliance awarded $59,000 to new scholarship recipients and another $55,000 to 12 renewal recipients. Since the program began, 186 students have received more than $1.36 million in scholarship awards.

Details and application guidelines for the 2027-28 Melvin Kruger Scholarship program are expected to be available in early October. More information is available at roofingalliance.net.