Hello to whomever is reading this, my name is Lawson Scott. I am a 17-year-old drone pilot from Atlanta, GA. I am a certified Part 107 pilot and a collegiate student at Morehouse College. This fall, I will be majoring in Aerospace Engineering to deepen my knowledge of aeronautics.
At the young age of six, I discovered drones. While on a bike ride with my mother, I heard a sound similar to a bee buzzing. I looked up to see an unusual figure with four arms and propellers flying approximately 100 feet in the air. I was perplexed and noticed a man holding a controller while observing the drone in the air. I inquired about the device, and he informed me that it was a drone. He kindly offered me the opportunity to fly it. After flying the drone for about five minutes, I discovered my new passion.
Two years later, I learned that my elementary school had a drones club called RoboMes. After inquiring with the teacher, he informed me that the club was intended for fifth-grade students only. However, he mentioned that if there were not enough students, I might be able to join. When the club commenced, there were only nine students, and he had anticipated ten. Thus, with one spot remaining, I was able to join the team.
In the club, we constructed our drones from Knex, Styrofoam, and other household items. We built these drones to compete in a competition called Drones 4 Good, which continues to this day. I spent most of that year working independently because my teammates believed I was not qualified to be in the club. By the time the competition arrived, I had constructed two drones on my own, compared to their single drone. During the first obstacle, their drone broke into pieces, forcing them to rely on my drone to compete. In my first flight, I had to pop balloons hanging on long strings. I did not pop any balloons, but as my mother told me, “When you are down, there is nowhere to go but up.” I persevered and successfully completed the last two obstacles, securing a second-place finish for my team. From fourth to eighth grade, I competed in Drones 4 Good, building innovative designs. Some were 3D printed, while others were made from Styrofoam, with the Knex drone as my safety net.
As I began my high school tenure during the COVID-19 pandemic, I set my sights on leading the Drones 4 Good program at my high school. In tenth grade, we returned to school, and I had the opportunity to work on Drones 4 Good with the drones team. However, due to the pandemic, many teams did not return, reducing the number of teams from 50 in 2019 to 12 in 2021. Despite this setback, we remained determined to improve our product. The competition went well, but just when I thought the year was over, I was introduced to the UAS4STEM competition, where we could build our drones from carbon fiber. Having worked on drones for years, I was ecstatic to spend more time on them. Throughout UAS4STEM, I gained extensive knowledge about drones and leading a team. I also learned a lot about planes, as the competition was held at an airshow.
In eleventh and twelfth grades, I assumed the team leader role to motivate and lead our team in excelling at UAS4STEM and our outreach event. At the beginning of the year, we focused on Drones 4 Good to develop new innovative ideas for our competition while balancing our time on UAS4STEM. In eleventh grade, we made significant progress in our Drones 4 Good outreach. Despite this, our school’s Robotics team separated from us, requiring us to rebrand. While rebranding, we continued to focus on UAS4STEM, where we secured third place. In twelfth grade, I earned my Part 107 pilot’s license and began flying drones to capture videos and photographs for companies and real estate owners. Throughout twelfth grade, while still rebranding, I learned a great deal about running a business. Our Drones 4 Good program continues to improve. Around the time UAS4STEM began, I was also registering for college classes. Despite my busy schedule, I prioritized my team.
At the end of the competition, although we did not finish on the podium, I was awarded the Dewey O. Broberg Jr. Scholarship. It felt gratifying to be recognized for my accomplishments in the field of drones.
In conclusion, drones have provided me with new opportunities and a wealth of knowledge. I am profoundly grateful to everyone who supported me in pursuing and excelling in drones. It has been an honor to compete in a national drones competition for three consecutive years and be recognized for my accomplishments with the Dewey O. Broberg Jr. Scholarship.
Thank you to Lawson Scott for writing this blog post to share your story! We always appreciate hearing from our UAS4STEM competitors/members and love to share their stories and experiences. If you would like to learn more about the D3 event, click here. To get yourself or youth you know started with drones, check out this drone unit of study developed for the Know Before You Fly campaign. To learn more about UAS4STEM, visit our official website by clicking this link.