Many people living in the United States have been raised on the principle that to succeed in life, you need to go to college. But as college tuition rates rise, more and more people struggle to afford a college education. In 2020, student debts ranged between $13,000-$25,000, accumulating to $1.6 trillion in unpaid student loans across the country. While it has become abundantly clear that something has to be done to correct this debt imbalance, many people are finding that the answer is simply to forgo a formal college education altogether. There are plenty of avenues to success if one can find a way to apply themselves in a novel way.

That is exactly what Dwight Neptune from New Jersey did when he dropped out of Mercer County Community College. As a child, Dwight was always fascinated with technology, always tinkering with something. In high school, Dwight began studying electrical engineering and took up building FPV (First Person View) drones as a hobby. He also began working as a volunteer as a technical specialist at a local church to feed his love for how technology works, a position Dwight still holds today. Upon enrolling at Mercer County Community in 2016, Dwight began studying for a degree in Business Administration and Management. It was in college that he met a group of like minded drone enthusiasts.

With his new colleagues, Dwight shared his vision of designing an FPV drone that was affordable and easy to use for drone operators of any level. Over the years, drones have become more user friendly. Many are ready to fly straight out of the box after a quick charge. But for those who are fans of the FPV world, the available drones tend to need a bit more know how. Dwight envisioned an FPV drone that would be ready to use right out of the box, a rarity in the FPV market.

Using off the shelf components Dwight and his friends built their first drone model, that ignited into flames and crashed during its first test flight. But the team was not discouraged. They used this failure as a learning model, saw how the drone was miswired, and rebuilt. Soon enough, they sold the first drone prototype for $500, barely enough to cover their expenses. Luckily that very first customer was excited to share feedback on what was and was not working with the model. With this new feedback, Dwight built a solid business plan to take his drone to the next level. After 3 semesters at college Dwight dropped out and founded Beagle Drones. Though he hadn’t left school for financial reasons, Dwight realized that if he wanted Beagle Drones to succeed it would be more important for him to focus all of his time on the drones rather than obtaining a degree.

While it was a scary move to make, for Dwight it paid off. Today Beagle Drones has several FPV drone options, including custom FPV goggles. The kits range in price from $130 to $400, a very low price point for this category of drones. Beagle Drones also has a dedicated service program called Beagle Care+ that is available 24/7 to help with any issues, whether they be hardware, software, or general instruction. And though Dwight is technically a “drop-out”, if it wasn’t for the education he had gotten in high school, the support of dedicated teachers, he knows he would not have had the knowledge to build Beagle Drones. For this reason, Dwight has made sure to include kits specifically catered to school STEM programs, sharing with kids his love for drones and how they can shape a future.

Dropping out of college to pursue a dream is not for everyone. It takes a tremendous amount of dedication. Dwight fully invests all of his energy into Beagle Drones leaving little to no time for a social life. He says he wakes up and begins working by 7AM. Most nights he doesn’t finish until after midnight. Beagle Drones has a new FPV drone launching in late October that is unlike any FPV drone on the market, a completely new and unique design according to Dwight. The drone market is huge, yet 22 year old Dwight has found a niche with Beagle Drones being estimated to be worth $4 million already. This niche, as stated on Beagle Drones website, is “A one-stop shop for beginners to experience drone racing. It’s easy. We do all the hard work, so you don’t have to.” For those looking into exploring drones for the first time, to those who are experienced pilots, Beagle Drones is making sure that it is creating drones that “empower you to discover and create breathtaking experiences.”

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