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 Previous: The Big Project's Ranks, Enthusiasm Expand |  Next: AO-40 Satellite Goes Silent |
By Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM
Contributing Editor
January 27, 2004
Apply for Amateur Radio-related scholarships and awards, and get involved in the School Club Roundup!
Scholarships for Young Hams: What's Out There?
If you're finishing high school and heading to college this year, chances are you're also looking for money to pay for your education. The good news is that just being a ham radio licensee opens some scholarship doors.
ARRL Foundation Scholarships
Thanks to many clubs and individuals, the ARRL Foundation administers many scholarships earmarked for young, college-bound hams. A complete list of scholarships--along with eligibility requirements and an application form--is available on the ARRL Web site.
If you plan to apply, you'll have to act very soon. Applications for 2004-2005 academic year grants must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2004. That's just a few days away! Application packages go to The ARRL Foundation, Scholarship Program, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
Foundation for Amateur Radio Scholarships
As we mentioned last month, the Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR) also administers scholarships for hams. Additional information and an application form are available by sending a letter or QSL card postmarked prior to April 30, 2004, to FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738.
Local Club Scholarships
Many local radio clubs also have scholarship funds. If you're still looking for financial help for college, see if your local radio club offers a scholarship and find out how to apply.
Amateur Radio Awards for Youth
Do you know a young ham who sets an example for others to follow--a licensee who is an active ham and involved in many aspects of hamming and who contributes to the betterment of Amateur Radio and to his or her community? Several awards have been created to recognize these young amateurs. Consider nominating an outstanding young Amateur Radio licensee you know for one (or both) of these awards.
 Hiram Percy Maxim Award and Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship winner Ben Schupack, NW7DX, hikes in Washington's Glacial Peak Wilderness. [Vince Booth Photo] |
The ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award
As we mentioned last time, the ARRL offers the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial (HPM) Award to an "exceptional young Amateur Radio operator" aged 21 or younger whose contributions are of an exemplary nature. The prize consists of $1500 and an engraved plaque. Complete information and a nomination form are available on the ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award Web page. Those nominating HPM Award candidates should include their contact information and forward the nomination paperwork to their ARRL Section Manager. Section managers also may nominate young hams for this award.
For additional information, contact Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS at ARRL Headquarters.
Eighteen-year-old Ben Schupack, NW7DX of
Sammamish, Washington was the winner of the 2002 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award,
as announced last July. We'll have more to say about Ben later in the column.
 The 2003 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year was Jay Thompson, W6JAY. |
The Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award
Amateur Radio Newsline is another organization that presents an award to a deserving young amateur--the Young Ham of the Year (YHOTY) Award. Created in 1986, the YHOTY Award is underwritten by Yaesu (Vertex Standard) and CQ magazine. It recognizes an amateur under the age of 18 living in the continental US for his or her contribution to society through Amateur Radio. The Young Ham of the Year Award selection committee considers nominations and selects a winner.
Nominating forms and additional information are available at the Amateur Radio Newsline Web site or by writing 2004 Young Ham of the Year Award, c/o Newsline, 28197 Robin Ave, Santa Clarita, CA 91350. All nominations must be submitted before May 30.
The 2003 YHOTY was Jay Thompson, W6JAY, of Santa Ana, California. The 17-year-old Amateur Extra class licensee and ARRL Life Member has earned a favorable reputation within the Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) community and has competed internationally in foxhunting events. He's also heavily involved in emergency communications and is a member of the Orange County Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS).
A Veteran Award Winner
Ben Schupack, NW7DX, is a dual award winner. Not only was he the 2002 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award winner but also won the Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship. He offers some sound words of wisdom to young amateurs.
"The best advice I can give to a young ham is to get on the air and be active," he says. "Amateur Radio opens many doors. If there are young hams just starting up and they want to begin winning awards, as long as they are committed and active on the air, there is no doubt that awards will show up."
Schupack enjoys CW most of all, but he likes SSB and digital modes too. He also enjoys researching antennas and building low-power (QRP) gear. He's attending Whitman College, majoring in chemistry on his way to a career in dentistry. Since he recently moved into a dorm room, getting on the air has not been easy, but he's already made some contacts on his QRP gear.
In addition to Amateur Radio, he enjoys music and plays lead trombone in his school's jazz band. His other hobbies include hiking, bicycling and participating in triathlons. With all of these activities, he managed to earn a 3.92 grade point average during his first semester in college.
NW7DX says that Amateur Radio has allowed him
to experience things that few of his peers have, such as making friends in
other countries, talking to people over the radio and learning about
electronics. Schupack finds that the Internet is a very good source for Amateur
Radio-related information and recommends that others make use of it.
 Students at the Arkansas State University Amateur Radio Club's W5ASU participate in the 2001 SCR. |
The 2004 School Club Roundup
If you're active in a school radio club, the School Club Roundup (SCR) is just for you. If not, try contacting some school clubs during this event. The SCR gets under way February 9 at 1300 UTC and continues through February 13. Participating schools may operate six hours a day up to 24 hours total. The School Club Roundup is sponsored by the Council for the Advancement of Amateur Radio in the New York City Schools (CAAR/NYCS), the ARRL and its Hudson Division Education Task Force.
The purpose of the contest is to encourage contacts with and among school radio clubs. Awards are presented for first, second and third place in each entry class. In addition, anyone contacting at least 10 schools qualifies for a certificate.
KC7MOD's free School Club Roundup logging software LogIt! may be found on the Arizona State University Web site.
After you participate in the 2004 SCR, drop me an e-mail and let me know how it went.
Winter Reading:
Remember to...
New to Amateur (Ham) Radio?
Final!
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this column. Remember, it's the readers who make it what it is. If your school has a radio club, please let me know.
Editor's Note: Fourteen-year-old Extra-class operator and ARES Member Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, resides in Grayson, Georgia. Her Amateur Radio activities include public service, kit building, hamfesting, and operating SSB, CW and digital modes. Amateurs with youth-related news and photos are invited to contact Andrea via e-mail with the subject line "Youth Column." See previous Youth@HamRadio.Fun columns on the ARRL Web site.
| Previous: The Big Project's Ranks, Enthusiasm Expand | Next: AO-40 Satellite Goes Silent |
