62nd Annual STS (2002-2003)
Finalists
Anna Gekker

NEW YORK
Anna Gekker, 17, of Brooklyn, examined the impact of visitation and other psychosocial factors on the recovery time and level of health improvement of older patients in a subacute rehabilitation setting for her Intel Science Talent Search project in behavioral and social sciences. She believes her study proves that visitation helps the recovery process and reduces the length of stay not only for patients with physical disabilities but also for those with mental disabilities. Thus, policies providing more opportunities for visitation could significantly reduce the cost of subacute rehabilitation. At Brooklyn Technical High School, Anna is a member of the tennis and math teams, and she writes for Math Student Magazine. She volunteers as an intern at Coney Island Hospital and competes nationally in ballroom dancing. Anna's many awards include a gold medal at the New York State Mathematics Fair in both 2001 and 2002. Born in Moldova and fluent in Russian, she is the first person from the former Soviet Union to win a city-wide first place award for her essay "What the American Flag Means to Me." The daughter of Semen and Dr. Irina Gekker, Anna hopes to attend NYU and pursue a career in medicine.