Aaron Boots AA0RN
I wanted to thank you for your work with the Foundation of Amateur Radio. I am truly honored to be a recipient of the 10-10 International Net Scholarship this year. This August I will be returning to Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) to continue my degree in Electrical Engineering. This scholarship will go a long way in my goal to graduate with minimal debt
I became interested in radio communications through my involvement in disaster relief work with Crisis Response International and received my technician’s license at the age of 17 in January 2013. I was also inspired by my father (KD0TXA) who got his license a month before I did. I quickly became interested in radio as a hobby through involvement with my local club and over the next twelve months received both my General and Extra class licenses. When I passed my Extra I changed my call to AA0RN (previously K0ARM and KD0UDB). I continued learning and experimenting in amateur radio as I finished high school and took my first two years of engineering courses at a community college.
This last year I transferred to Missouri S&T and became heavily involved with the ham radio club on campus (W0EEE). I get on HF SSB very frequently from my local residence and the school club station. In December of 2016 I was elected the president of the club. With the help of several of our dedicated members we have seen explosive growth in the club which is mentioned in page 20 of the May 2017 QST. One of the biggest factors to our growth has been the Technician Class courses we have been offering. Over the last year we have assisted over 20 students in becoming amateur operators. I am interested in getting "younger" people into ham radio, and I am always converting people into to the hobby. I was Vice President of the Johnson County Radio Amateurs Club (W0ERH) from August 2014 through August 2016. In addition, I have been an ARRL Volunteer Examiner from February 2017 to the present and a Laurel Volunteer Examiner since August.
Last semester I was given an opportunity to start working on software defined radios in a paid undergraduate position. My amateur radio knowledge was vital for this project and opened the door for this opportunity. I am excited to discover what the next year will bring to me both academically and in the world of radio communications.
Christos Kakoutas 5B4AIP
M y name is Christos Kakoutas, and I come from the island of Cyprus, located in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea. At the age of twelve, I joined my high school’s Amateur Radio club, 5B4ES, where older students teach younger students the electronics and operating theory behind the wonderful hobby of Amateur Radio. Mentored by alumni of 5B4ES, I acquired my CEPT license (the European equivalent of a United States Extra Class license) at the age of 15. My 5B4AIP callsign and C46W special contest callsign were handed to me, and I have been an active Radio Amateur ever since. Chairing 5B4ES from 2009 until graduating in 2012, as members of the Cyprus Amateur Radio Society (CARS) we co-operated with the Cypriot Scouts Organization in introducing scouts to Amateur Radio. Furthermore, while continuously upgrading our QTH, we organized various equipment projects and participated in many contests, with highlight the 2011 All Asian DX Contest, where I scored 2nd place in the world and 1st in the under-18 SOSTAB HP category.
Upon graduation from high school in 2012, I was enlisted for my national service.
Completing my military service in 2014, I matriculated at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, England, to study Engineering. This year I completed my Batchelor’s Degree in Engineering, having read Fluid Mechanics, Dynamics, Control, and Electromagnetism. In September I will return to Cambridge for my Master’s Degree, specializing in Fluid Mechanics. At Cambridge I joined G6UW (special contest callsign M4A), the Cambridge University Wireless Society, and served as its secretary from 2015 to 2017. I was also fortunate enough to participate in the 2015 IARU YOTA Conference, which took place in Italy. The M4A contest calendar peaks every year with the CQWW SSB contest, where in 2016 we ranked first in the UK in the MULTI-TWO category. I am also a member of the ARRL, RSGB, CARS, the Nicosia Club (5B4NC) as well as the Nicosia Contest Group (C4A).
I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the Ten-Ten International Net and all the people behind it. This is the third year I have received your scholarship. This summer I was accepted to participate in the 2017 Gordon Research Conference on Climate Engineering in Maine, USA, and with the scholarship I can manage my participation better and be able to fully enjoy the experience. Besides being indebted by this act of kindness, I am honored for receiving this academic scholarship, and thus determined to improve my activity in the hobby, the HF bands and 10m in particular.
John Herrick, KK4BSM
I ’d like to thank the Ten-Ten International Net for sponsoring the Ten-Ten International Scholarship fund. I greatly appreciate your generosity in sponsoring this scholarship, and all the efforts you all do to promote amateur radio.
I’m currently a rising senior at Virginia Tech majoring in Geography with a double minor in Meteorology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). I plan on entering the workforce upon completion of my undergraduate degree. I aspire to work for the National Weather Service as an Electronics Technician or another technically-inclined position
My curiosity led me to amateur radio. Radio communications has been my sole passion since elementary school. As a high school freshman, I studied for and passed my Technician and General class exams, upgrading to Extra class the following year. I remember being gifted my first HF radio, a Radio Shack 10-meter mobile unit. I spent the first two years on HF exclusively on 10m, and had many fun memories working DX. Since then, I’ve been active in nearly every facet of amateur radio imaginable.
I’ve had a lot of memorable activities with the Virginia Tech Amateur Radio Association (K4KDJ). I had the opportunity to assist with a high-altitude balloon mission, run a major contest pile-up, Golden Packet APRS Event, etc. There have been many things I’ve been able to check off my ham “bucket list”. Experimentation is what really drives my interest in amateur radio. I like knowing what works, what doesn’t, and why.
Over the past 3 years, I’ve helped proctor 20 exams as an ARRL and Laurel ARC-certified Volunteer Examiner. Our testing group provides testing services free of charge to the applicants. In addition to licensing exams, VTARA assists with multiple public service events each year, usually event support for parades or cycling races. I’ve served as Club President for the past two years, and continue to work closely with other club officers.
Virginia Tech has been an excellent fit for me. Much of my academic studies revolves around remote sensing. One of my department’s field projects involves installing remote weather stations on local peaks. When our equipment was having difficulty finding a signal, I used my SDR as a spectrum analyzer to troubleshoot the station’s cellular modem. Having outside experience in amateur radio has given me a distinct advantage, and appreciation for the technology used by today’s industries.
The timing of the scholarship was very fortunate since I will be moving off-campus for the first time this year. I have signed a lease for a quiet, but unfurnished apartment. The funds will help with the new living expenses as well as required books/software. Additionally, I will install a new hard drive for my laptop computer which needs one after three years of portable use.
Again, thank you very much for this scholarship.
Owen Cruise N0WEN
I would like to offer my sincere thanks for the generous scholarship from your organization. I recently graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego. This fall, I will be attending the University of California San Diego. Your gift will greatly help me finance my education. For the past few years, amateur radio has been a favorite hobby of mine. Since discovering the club at Mt. Carmel (W6SUN) during my freshman year, I have enjoyed the science and art of the hobby. Between the high-altitude balloon payload launches, the fun in setting up HF and satellite rigs, and more, the ham club was fully integrated into my time in high school. Along the way, I worked with
talented engineer mentors, and I met many amazing people. Beyond the club, I strived to be involved with other amateur radio groups and events. I am a member
of the PAPA System repeater group as well as of ARRL. In addition, I have attended and operated at Field Day 2016 and 2017, and I operated on the USS Midway’s station (NI6IW), which was definitely a highlight for me.
My other hobby for the past seven years has been playing string bass. I began playing the instrument in my middle school orchestra and jazz band. As a musician with the San Diego Youth Symphony, I had the unique opportunity to travel to China on their tour in the summer of 2015. I also formed a separate jazz ensemble with friends and performed at restaurants and retirement homes around the county. Currently, I am a member of the San Diego Philharmonic Orchestra, a new group started by a friend of mine. I hope to join the La Jolla Symphony while at UCSD. Ham radio and music were the defining cornerstones of my high school experience, and while very different from each other, I know that these two passions helped me to be successful with the academic aspect of school. The amateur radio club activities were instrumental in guiding my decision
to study mechanical engineering. UCSD has an amateur radio club, and I plan on staying “radioactive” throughout college and beyond, both on and off campus.
Again, thank you so much for your generosity in supporting my education. I wish the Ten-Ten International Group nothing but the best in all of its activities and functions
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Tom Jose, VU2TO
T hank you, 10-10 International and the FAR Scholarship Committee for selecting me for a $2000 scholarship this year. This will certainly help me with my studies.
I am currently pursuing my 2nd year Bachelor of Technology education with an emphasis on Electronics and Communications at Swamy Vivekananda Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, India. I grew up in an ecosystem surrounded by Amateur radio operators as both of my parents VU2JOS & VU3LMS work at National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR). Having seen my parents and others experimenting, I got inspired to join this hobby and worked towards getting my license at a young age of 13 years. I was designated the Call Sign VU3TMO (Restricted Grade license) in 2011 and upgraded to VU2TO (General Grade license) in 2015.
I have participated in numerous contests from NIAR club station and received operating achievement from ARRL, CQ USA, RSGB Great Britain, DARC Germany, JARL Japan, ARI Italy, IARC Israel, Australia, France, Poland, Ukraine, India etc. I was awarded the prestigious ARRL Diamond DXCC Award when I was 14 years old in 2012. My efforts in providing emergency communication with NIAR team during the Hud Hud cyclone in 2014 has been appreciated by several National and International media organizations. I made a presentation at the Youth Forum during 2015 Dayton Hamvention about my ham radio activities.
Last year, in the Fall 10-10 News I told you about my involvement in emergency communications during Cyclone Hud Hud that occurred in October 2014. Once again it was proved that when everything else fails, Ham Radio gets the job done. I was interviewed by the film star Mr. Nagarjuna on a popular TV program about my emergency communications. This was telecast several times and by several local TV channels. I was featured in the July 2015 issue of CQ Magazine (Page 12).
Details about my emergency communication activity is now taught in the Class IX English subject in the schools in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, India. I am helping to propagate the hobby among the youth of my country.
