Schofield Middle School's Amateur Radio Club upped it frequency again.
The club, which has placed first in national ham radio competitions against much larger schools, reached a new milestone Thursday.
Four members of the club, called the Ram Ham Radio Club after the school's mascot, passed their FCC test and earned their FCC Tech Licenses. For their hard work, Andrew Guerry, Anna Matson, Lance Rolka and Piper Woodward received a new radio and a certificate from the club's sponsor, the North Augusta Belvedere Radio Club.
“It's quite an accomplishment because this is the largest number of students that we've had to pass and have gotten their technology licenses,” said Richard Nelson, the club's faculty sponsor who teaches keyboarding and computer applications. “Without the help, too, of the North Augusta Belvedere Radio Club and their volunteers, who are called our Elmers, we would not be able to do this. So I'm very proud of our students and their hard work.”
A grant in April 2009 from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions to begin a radio communications program at Schofield Middle provided the initial funding for the club. Since then, the club's members have excelled, Nelson said.
“They've done nothing but increase and impress with their awards,” Nelson said. “We're probably one of the smallest clubs that has won the national title of being the best of the American Radio Relay League School Club Roundup competition.”
The goal of the annual competition is for students, working three to four hours after school, to make contact with as many other ham radio operators as possible during one week. The winter-spring competition will be Feb. 12-16.
In past competitions, the Schofield club has made more than 1,000 contacts.
Nelson, who has been the club's sponsor for many of the 14 years he has taught at Schofield, said the jobs helps “keep me young” and he enjoys seeing his students' achievements.
“I really enjoy seeing them …attaining their licenses, watching them grow and knowing they will have a skill that, hopefully, they'll be able to use in their future careers and enhance their qualifications for the job force,” he said.
Mike Newland, one of the North Augusta Belvedere Radio Club's Elmers, said having a radio license can lead to careers as a policeman, fireman or dispatcher.
“If you have your license and your'er interviewing for a job, you're in the door automatically,” he said.
College scholarships also are available for students, especially young women, who have radio licenses.
“That money goes begging a lot of times,” Newland said. “It's just a pleasure to be around these young kids and work with them to get them things that will help them later in life.”
