Alexia Snethen, KM6LGG, of Fremont, California, has been awarded The Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship by the ARRL Foundation. The award, endowed through the generosity of William R. Goldfarb, N2ITP, in memory of his parents, Albert and Dorothy Goldfarb, covers a significant portion of higher education expenses to the awardee. Snethen, who earned many college credits during high school, will be entering as a freshman at the University of California, Davis this year.

Snethen got an early start in amateur radio, finding her place in the hobby through a youth net. “Back when I first got licensed at 10 years old, I was not as interested in talking to adults. The youth net was the only time I got on the radio because there would actually be someone closer to my age, and it was really nice to have that connection,” she said.

When the net control operator of the youth net went off to college in 2017, Snethen took the reins. She would help other young hams have a safe place to explore ham radio. In 2019, she was appointed the Section Youth Coordinator (SYC) of the ARRL East Bay Section. She developed a Discord server for the young hams to connect off-air, and frequently organizes youth-oriented in-person amateur radio events.

When she’s not leading fellow young people, she enjoys the random rag chews that happen on the HF bands. “A week ago, there was a whole conversation about pie. It was just these two guys who were talking about different flavors of pie and different pie shops – very random conversation – but it was interesting to listen to… I pitched in with my own favorite type of pie,” said Snethen. Her favorite is coconut cream pie, to which the other operators took half-hearted umbrage. “We had – not an argument – it was a debate,” she quipped.

The fun social engagement Alexia finds in ham radio is a result of her technical knowledge built in the hobby. That foundation has helped set her up for a very serious pursuit in life. “I enjoy engineering disciplines and want to go into engineering or a related field,” she said. Her plan is to study biochemistry or biomedical engineering. “I’m having a really hard time deciding between the engineering and the science side. I really like them both.” Either one will further her desire to serve others. “My goal in life is to help people live better lives. Because of this, I want to work in a health-related field, conducting research and designing equipment to help people live healthier and more fulfilled lives.”

As Lexi, as she is known to her fellow teens, continues to lead other Silicon Valley youth in their pursuit of ham radio – she looks up to other hams who mentor her and continue to help her grow in the hobby. She met ARRL First Vice President Kristen McIntyre, K6WX, at a ham radio event. McIntyre, an accomplished software engineer by trade, took notice. “I have known Alexia since she was about 10 years old. I have followed her amateur radio career since that time and have always been impressed with her maturity, willingness to work hard, and her leadership skills,” said McIntyre.

Her ham license gave her an opportunity to build a network that she enjoys both socially and professionally. “Amateur radio was a gateway for me to find my own engineering connections,” she said. The Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship will help her educational pursuits significantly. “This is going to make it much more likely that I get a master’s degree. Previously, I was going to have to pay for a large portion of my 4 years of schooling. Now, with a lot of that burden taken off, I can save up for the masters – maybe even a Ph.D.,” she said.

Snethen’s work and leadership in amateur radio have recently earned her another honor. At its Second Meeting in July 2025, the ARRL Board of Directors bestowed on her the 2025 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award.