Strong Support from Elmers Makes it Possible for Young Operators
Editor’s Note: Katie Campbell, KE8LQR, was recently selected as the 2025 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year. Our heartfelt congratulations to Katie for this achievement and for her passionate representation of the future of amateur radio!
Young people today are surrounded by a seemingly endless swirl of tests and exams. The pressure on students around this can become exhausting—an endless cycle of studying, testing, and sometimes forgetting the material afterwards.
While throwing an extra test into the mix may feel like a waste of time to many young people, the exam to acquire an amateur radio license is different. Unlike some of the exams at school, the amateur radio licensing exams are the gateway into much further learning and exploration. The material is not forgotten after one takes and passes the exam—rather, it can be expounded upon.
While it sounds cliché, in the world of amateur radio, young people have an environment where the sky’s the limit to what they can accomplish. Goals aren’t determined by a one-dimensional letter, numeric grade, or by a mere pass/fail designation. Goals are determined by what motivates them, what matters to them, and what piques their interest, which leads to more meaningful work toward their goals, along with more rewarding results when they are accomplished.
A common phrase within the amateur radio community is that “an amateur radio license is a license to learn.” This couldn’t be more accurate. When I got my Technician license I, admittedly, had memorized most of the questions because I was so unfamiliar with the content, but as I’ve gotten more and more involved in the hobby, I’ve started to learn and actually understand the material. As I’ve learned, my interest and involvement in the hobby has snowballed into one that I will carry with me through the rest of my life.
The Importance of Strong Support
Young people are capable of incredible things, but to accomplish them they need a strong support system and people encouraging them to push themselves. Amateur radio gives young people exactly this. Since getting my license at ten years old, I’ve met many individuals who have done everything they can to support me and my goals both within and out of amateur radio, no matter how odd those goals may have been. From letting me help teach Morse code classes to encouraging me to apply for academic opportunities and even opening their shacks for me to contest from, my Elmers have gone above and beyond to help me.
After showing interest in getting more involved with contesting, K3LR, DX Engineering’s CEO, and K8AZ welcomed me into their shacks. They’ve shared their endless knowledge with me, mentored me, and supported me through every challenge I’ve encountered, while still letting me face the challenges and learn from my mistakes. They’ve generously incorporated me into their contest crews, making sure I feel welcome to operate with them whenever I’d like. They’ve pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone and helped me pursue opportunities and experiences that I couldn’t have imagined before I became involved in the amateur radio community. They’ve helped build my confidence and helped me realize what I’m capable of. Most importantly, they all believed in me.
Amateur radio is the perfect embodiment of the philosophy that if you believe that someone can do something, then they can—because without this support, I never would have been able to accomplish what I have in amateur radio, and I wouldn’t have pushed myself nearly as much as I’ve been able to. And these experiences aren’t unique to me. I’ve seen this support and encouragement from older hams both firsthand and secondhand, as many of my younger peers in amateur radio have experienced the same things.
Young amateur radio operators are working to break the stereotype that it’s impossible for a minority group in amateur radio to succeed. While there are challenges we face, the support and encouragement from our older peers eases these challenges immensely.
Amateur radio operators have always been catalysts for positive change and new developments. Young hams are the next generation who will strive for these new innovations. The support of longtime operators will make this possible. When experienced hams believe in the youth of the hobby, we can and will accomplish amazing things both in and out of the realm of amateur radio. While young operators are the future of the hobby, the support and mentoring from older hams is what will propel younger generations of operators to success.
