Fifteen-year-old Matt Shea, KC1DLY, had no Amateur Radio ticket 1 year ago. Today, he’s an Amateur Extra class licensee and already has earned two of the League’s flagship operating awards — DXCC and Worked All States (WAS). His 100 W station is quite modest with a 35-foot end-fed wire in the attic for his antenna (and he even operates on 160 meters!). He confirmed all of the contacts necessary for the two awards using Logbook of The World (LoTW).

“I play radio daily and absolutely love it,” Shea, a high school sophomore in Southington, Connecticut, said on his QRZ.com profile. In addition to ham radio, he’s on the Southington High School Robotics Team, and he’s been busy recruiting new radio amateurs among his friends at school. “I am hoping to get a few more new hams on the air to keep the great hobby going!” he said.

ARRL CEO-Elect Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, on March 7 congratulated Shea and presented him with his awards at ARRL Headquarters. — Thanks to Sean Kutzko, KX9X