Rebba, the youngest member of the Illinois Section cabinet, has earned many accolades for his Amateur Radio pursuits, including the Young Ham Lends a Hand Award at the 2019 Dayton Hamvention Youth Forum; a Presidential Award from AMSAT, and the Radio Club of America Young Achiever Award. In July, 2022, he was among the winners of the 2022 ARRL Foundation Scholarship competition. Licensed in 2013 at age nine, Rebba became involved in ARRL Field Day and public service events with the Central Illinois Radio Club. He combined his interest in space and engineering with his new hobby, joining AMSAT and pursuing his dream of a school contact with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station which came true in October 2017, when, while in junior high, he served as lead control operator for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) allowing he and his fellow classmates to talk to astronaut Joe Acaba, KE5DAR . Rebba helped to facilitate another ARISS for Scouts attending the World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, and was able to monitor the contact from home. ARISS presentations at Dayton and Huntsville, Rebba's selection as an ARISS mentor, and networking with those putting together the ARISS contact for the World Scout Jamboree led to his involvement in the 2019 contact. Rebba has traveled to India to promote Amateur Radio awareness, discussing the importance of wireless communication and its role during disasters. Founder of the Universal Help Foundation to help underprivileged students on a global scale, among his first activities was a digital project at a girls’ high school in India. He also has an interest in robotics and has served as a mentor helping elementary school students build robots.
