Renewed optimism in the industry

By Jenny Yu.  

An NRCA scholarship awardee and his mentor share the impact of the Empower All Scholarship and their mentor relationship.  

The roofing industry’s up-and-coming leaders are impressing the veterans. One such trailblazer is Nathanial Koren, recipient of the Empower All Scholarship from the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), who was joined by his mentor, Mark DeFrietas, to discuss their journey from scholarship application to mentorship in this episode of Roofing Road Trips®. 

Prior to winning the prestigious scholarship, Nathanial was no stranger to roofing. 

“I've been roofing for as long as I can remember,” Nathanial recounted. “My dad's been roofing for the last 20 years, so I was born into it, working on our own roof before I can remember. I now work for his roofing company, and I am the production manager. I make sure all the jobs happen efficiently.” 

Winning the Empower All Scholarship meant winning a free ticket to the International Roofing Expo (IRE) as well as hotel accommodations, airfare and an on-site mentor. Mark, vice president of national and strategic accounts at SOPREMA, was assigned to be Nathanial’s mentor. With over 35 years in the industry under his belt, Mark currently sits on committees and task force groups at NRCA, Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) and International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC). 

“I've always wanted to give back, and the NRCA holds a very dear place in my heart. There were a number of people who really helped when I was young, as a manufacturer salesperson,” Mark shared. “This is the great thing about our industry — they grab you and they help you and they support you. All those people early on showed me the kind of people who are in our industry, and it motivated me down the road to give back.” 

Prior to meeting Nathanial, Mark read through his application and talked to the review committee. They spoke highly of Nathanial’s thoughtful responses and expressed that he had a genuine passion for learning and leading by example. 

“They said, he’s intelligent, kind, determined, grateful, optimistic and full of energy, and I have to tell you, all of that was represented from the moment I met him to the end of the IRE,” Mark expressed. “He just gave me renewed optimism in our industry and the youth coming through. So very, very well deserved.” 

Nathanial’s enthusiasm was evident as he described his experience attending IRE. “The knowledge that I got from the convention is going to shape me forever,” Nathanial said. “My future is going to be molded around what I learned during those three days. I couldn't learn enough. I came back and taught our team some of those things that I learned. There's just so much that you take away from winning a scholarship like this.” 

Mark added, “I'm so happy to mentor, to volunteer. I was lucky to get someone like Nathaniel, because it just made me feel — wow, we've got some really excellent young people coming through the ranks.  We're going to be fine as an industry.” 

Listen to the podcast to learn more about both Nathanial’s and Mark’s journeys in the industry. Apply for the Empower All Scholarship to attend the 2026 International Roofing Expo® by September 29, 2025.