Radio Waves of Opportunity for Walnut Students
Certified HAM radio operators (from left to right) Gabby Cortez Moreno, Addison Stahl-Victory and Henry Hines.
The Bill and Bea Southard Endowed Fund is breaking down financial barriers and fueling opportunities for Walnut Middle School students. Thanks to the fund, 3 members of the Walnut DC Diplomats are pursuing their HAM amateur radio licenses.
This support covers the essential costs for the test, FCC license, and a radio for each student, transforming a technical interest into a powerful tool for civic action. With their licenses, these students will become invaluable community assets, assisting with the Harvest of Harmony Parade, coordinating cross-country races, providing communications at the state fair, and submitting critical weather reports monitored by NOAA. This initiative empowers students to gain technical skills and serve their community in a vital, hands-on way.
The Walnut DC Diplomats program itself, led by Walnut Middle School teachers Mr. Tyler Madison and Mr. Benjamin Marten, is a year-long, community-based endeavor focused on student leadership development, thus aligning perfectly with the HAM radio project with its goal of exposing students to different types of community service. Mr. Marten said, “The students who have their HAM radio license will have additional service opportunities. We want them to help provide communication at big community events such as races, the state fair, the Harvest of Harmony Parade, as well as emergency communication during severe weather events.”
Walnut teacher Benjamin Marten with students during HAM radio testing.
Mr. Madison and Mr. Marten didn’t want economic constraints to stand in the way of their students from achieving their HAM radio certifications, so they applied for a Compassion Grant from the Grand Island Public Schools Foundation and were awarded the Bill and Bea Southard Grant that helped pay for the students’ certification process. Mr. Marten said, “We started this program after learning about a guy who launches balloons that circumnavigate the globe while he tracks it with his HAM Radio. There are 3 levels of certification: Technician (entry level), General, and Amateur Extra. Our students took their Technician license exam. In order to use the frequencies to fly balloons around the world you need a General License, so as the students were testing for their technician, I got my General license.” Addison Stahl-Victory, one of 3 students to get certified with her amateur HAM radio certification stated, “I was encouraged to get my HAM licenses because not many kids my age are interested in this kind of stuff. It was an opportunity I wouldn't have if I wasn't offered.”
The Grand Island Public Schools Foundation Compassion Grant—Bill and Bea Southard Endowed Fund is an invaluable resource, serving as a catalyst for meaningful, real-life learning opportunities that extend far beyond the traditional classroom setting that might not otherwise be possible within standard school budgets. This particular fund specifically empowers innovative projects that foster empathy and community involvement among students. The Bill and Bea Southard Endowed Fund allows for students to gain hands-on, technical skills while making tangible connections to the broader world. This educational investment translates directly into practical, engaging experiences that build character, technical competence, and a lasting spirit of service. Making the Walnut HAM radio project a perfect fit for the Bill and Bea Southard Endowed Fund to support the endeavor.
Bea Southard
No stranger to life’s challenges Bea Southard not only understood the value of education, but how to break down barriers for more meaningful educational experiences. Southard's reputation extended far beyond the classroom, earning deep respect and admiration from her colleagues. They recognized her unwavering passion for education and commitment to her students, noting her continuous pursuit of post-graduate education to stay abreast of new teaching trends that could benefit her students. One peer noted her remarkable capacity to elevate every child, observing, "She taught misbehaving students to behave; disrespectful students to respect others and themselves; low-achieving students to achieve, and high-achieving students to achieve more.” Her exceptional dedication extended beyond academics; as another colleague summarized, “students were considered 'her kids' and she taught them not just subject matter, but also character, kindness, and how to rise above adversity and succeed."
Bea and her husband Bill were educators that thought outside the box to provide ever evolving educational practices to better serve their students. Following in those pioneering footsteps, Walnut teachers—Mr. Madison and Mr. Marten, are striving to provide that same level educational experience for their students. Encouraged by her teachers, DC Diplomat Gabriela Cortez Moreno was certified this December, she said, “My teachers talked to me about trying things outside of my comfort zone, and I usually do art, so I saw HAM radio as an opportunity to push myself to do new things and challenge myself.”
The Grand Island Public Schools Foundation is honored to serve as the link that channels funds from philanthropic community members directly to educators and students. To learn more about our Compassion Grants and how you can be a part of providing ongoing educational opportunities please visit here.
