Meet Lawrence Dao, a tenth grader at Lawrence Virtual School in Lawrence, Kansas. Lawrence’s favorite subject is math—he enjoys exploring its real-world applications. Beyond the classroom, he’s active in his school’s Math Club and even founded an AI and Coding Club to give his peers hands-on opportunities to explore emerging technologies and strengthen their coding skills.  He also plays varsity tennis and enjoys binge-watching “The Big Bang Theory” with his brother.

Getting Started with AEOP

Lawrence’s journey with the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) began in sixth grade when his teacher introduced him to eCYBERMISSION. The chance to collaborate with a team, share ideas, and solve real-world problems through science caught his attention immediately. From sixth through ninth grade, he competed in eCYBERMISSION, and he later participated in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS).

While eCYBERMISSION allowed him to explore team-based problem solving, JSHS gave him the unique opportunity to connect with STEM experts from the Department of Defense, gain feedback from judges, refine his research, and explore career paths. His JSHS project focused on digital student monitoring tools in schools—surveying different groups to analyze awareness and attitudes.

The experience deepened his interest in the intersection of education, technology, and student well-being, and he’s excited to return to JSHS with a new project that combines education research with engineering.

A Highlight Moment

Lawrence’s favorite AEOP memories are attending National Events and meeting like-minded students who shared his passion for research. A standout moment came in eighth grade, when his eCYBERMISSION team won first place at the National Judging & Educational Event with a project exploring ChatGPT’s effectiveness and community perceptions of the tool.

Skills That Last Beyond Competitions

For Lawrence, AEOP has been transformative. As a student at a virtual school, he has fewer opportunities for in-person interaction. AEOP gave him a platform to develop his communication skills, teaching him how to clearly explain his ideas and present his research with confidence.

“Being able to present my research and have people listen is one of the best parts,” he says. “These competitions helped me learn how to share my work in a way that others can understand.”

Advice for Future Participants

Lawrence encourages students to get involved in programs like eCYBERMISSION and JSHS, even if they feel nervous at first:

“Try them out. At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but through the process I learned new skills and had a lot of fun.”

He highlights the support participants receive, the chance to connect with peers and mentors, and the unique opportunities to present research—all of which make AEOP programs both memorable and rewarding.

Looking Ahead

In addition to his AEOP projects, Lawrence is currently working on a side project analyzing personal electric device policies in Kansas schools. Looking toward college, he plans to major in a STEM field and continue exploring the intersection between education, technology, and behavioral science and learn more about how modern academic tools shape student experiences.

Registration for the 2025-2026 eCYBERMISSION competition is open at www.ecybermission.com/register.

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium registration, which is open to 9-12 grade individuals completing STEM research, opens this fall at www.jshs.org/students/find-your-region.