Brendan's recognition spans science fairs and olympiads, national entrepreneurship competitions, academic distinction, and competitive tennis — work judged on both technical rigor and real-world usefulness.
May 2026
First place in the Earth and Sustainability category for engineering a glycerol-plasticized chitosan-starch biopolymer composite, after taking 2nd place in Environmental Engineering at the Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair and a Prototype Award at the Invention Virginia Expo.
Aug 2026
VerdureVeil placed second in the North American Division Finals and also took the Companies' Choice Award. The venture earned a Conrad Innovator Award, a Top 250 Global Team placement in the Blue Ocean Challenge, and a Top 100 Emerging Innovator spot at the University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship.
Research publications, olympiad rankings, and academic honors earned across high school.
The occlusive transpiration study in Vaccinium corymbosum was published in December 2025 after placing 3rd in the Plant Science category at the school round of the Fairfax County fair.
Awarded by the Virginia Tech DC Metro Region STEM Education and Workforce Development Labs in March 2026.
Recognized with the Prototype Award at the Invention Virginia Expo in May 2026 for the glycerol-plasticized chitosan-starch biopolymer composite.
Received a regional Gold Key from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in January 2026.
Second place in Environmental Engineering at the Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair in March 2026.
VerdureVeil was named a Top 250 Global Team in the 2026 Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition.
Venture awards, community recognition, and competitive results outside the lab.
Gold Award in the Canada Site Pitching Round qualifier (Feb 2025), the Conrad Innovator Award (Jan 2025), and the national Most Innovative Award at the Global Youth Entrepreneurship Competition (June 2025).
Awarded by W.L. Gore & Associates through the Diamond Challenge in April 2026 for venture development solving the poverty SDG, alongside three articles published online about the venture.
Regional Gold Key in January 2026, plus the Gold Presidential Service Award for 125.75 service hours and a Platinum Transparency Award from Candid for Match Point Foundation.
Champion of the JTT NOVA 16U (2023), 2nd Place in the JTCC BG 14S Indoor Single (USTA, 2024), and ranked 2nd on the Chantilly varsity roster as team Lieutenant.
