“It is an honor and very exciting to be recognized for the hard work our team has put into the project,” said Ethan Reyes, a junior at Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School and first-year competitor in the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) secondary construction management competition, held recently at the International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Reyes, along with his three teammates, junior, Zhane Blair and seniors, Rhea Butler and Aurora Ramos, are members of the Colgan High student chapter of the NAHB. They, along with advisor and founding faculty member of the Colgan NAHB student chapter, Tim Mason, earned the top spot for their project submission, which involved developing the full pricing and management schedule for the construction of a high-end custom home located in an upscale community in Park City, Utah.

“These students competed against skilled trades career and technical education schools that have placed and won in previous years,” said Mason. He added that the win is even more notable because Colgan is a fine and performing arts school. “Reyes is the only student not in the Colgan Fine and Performing Arts Program (CFPA). Blair is in the creative writing program, Butler is a pianist, and Ramos is in the fine arts program,” he said.

“I've developed many skills with NAHB that I know will help me with college, such as teamwork, out-of-the-box thinking, and time management,” said Butler. “I am planning to major in either computer science or construction management, and if it's the latter, all the knowledge I've gained in the house-construction process will put me ahead.”

The team developed, presented, and defended their proposal before a panel of five judges representing home builders across the U.S., including the sponsoring builder, Magleby Construction.

“The judges responded with accolades and acknowledged the teamwork in responding and the level of detail of their written schedules,” said Mason, adding that the secret to the students' success is that they “understand the value of working hard for their futures and wanting to be part of something great.”

"It’s important to learn a trade or hands-on skill regardless of your career path,” said Blair. “It helps keep doors open for other opportunities in the future.”

“Learning a trade or hands-on skill helps to foster essential skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and adaptability,” added Butler. “These abilities can be applied across many, if not all, industries.

Butler and Ramos also received recognition as Outstanding Students. Colgan was the only school with two students to receive this recognition and was only one of three high schools to be recognized.

“It means a lot because of all the effort we put in, but also the large amount of time that many other people put into us so we could learn and grow,” said Ramos.

The accolades are becoming more common as Colgan continues to compete in the national competition.

“Colgan has been recognized three of the four times it has competed. We were Rookies of the Year in 2020, third place in 2022, and now first place for 2024,” said Mason. “There is a place for CFPA students in the construction and engineering world.”