2005-06 National Finalists
National Finalist Winners
$15,000 Scholarship
Christina Badal
Saint Andrew's School
Boca Raton, FL
Weight Goals in a High School Age Population
"The purpose of this project was to assess weight goals of an adolescent population to determine if subgroups can be identified that correlate with a higher risk of eating disorders or unhealthy dietary practices."
Christina Badal's survey of 163 Florida high school students suggests a correlation between setting unreasonable weight goals and eating disorders or unhealthy dietary practices. Christina focused on body image among high school students because she often overhears teens commenting on their weight. She analyzed variables in terms of absolute weight goals and percentage of weight loss or gain needed to achieve their goals. She found that 16 percent of the respondents had unrealistic weight goals.
As a junior Christina is still researching colleges but is interested in attending Columbia, Princeton or Stanford Universities. She is president of the Astronomy Club, a member of Cum Laude Society and enjoys fishing, throwing the discus and journalism.
Erica Berck
Roslyn High School
Roslyn Heights, NY
Factors Predicting Adolescent Sexual Permissiveness
"I became interested in my topic after watching a talk show featuring a pregnant teenager who blamed her promiscuous behavior on her distant relationship with her father. After extensive research, I identified multiple factors shown to predict adolescent sexual promiscuity and permissiveness. I designed my study to see how influential each factor would be."
Erica Berck is a 16-year-old junior who surveyed 68 high school students to learn factors that contribute to sexual permissiveness. She found that peer attitudes toward sex were the best predictor of participants' sexual attitudes, and that a distant relationship with a person's father was a predictor of permissive sexual attitudes. Erica's interest in research was sparked by hearing about the work older students in her high school were doing. She loved the idea of designing and executing her own study to learn about something that really interested her.
Over the last several years, Erica has participated in the American Academy of Neurology Neuroscience Creativity Prize, Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, Long Island Science Congress, Rohm and Haas Invitational Science Fair, and Science Olympiad. She is a member of the Psychology Club, Science Olympiad, school newspaper, school yearbook, and National Honor Society. In her free time Erica enjoys tennis, track and playing the violin. She plans to major in neuroscience and psychology.
Katrina Diaz
Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center
Kalamazoo, MI
Factors Associated with the Parental Decision to Vaccinate Infants, Toddlers and Early School-age Children Against Influenza
"My project provides valuable information on the factors affecting decisions to vaccinate children against influenza and analyzes populations and establishments that should be targeted in order to help propagate healthy vaccination habits."
News reports about Avian Influenza and a possible pandemic piqued Katrina Diaz' interest in her topic. As influenza season drew near, she realized that new strategies should be developed to target vaccination of younger children, the population most likely to spread the disease to older populations. For her project, Katrina surveyed five Michigan daycare centers about the factors that most influence a parent's decision to vaccinate their children for influenza. A doctor's recommendation was the strongest factor, cited by 66 percent of the respondents.
In her spare time Katrina enjoys reading, writing, playing the violin, drawing, painting, singing, and acting. She says of her YES Competition experience, "I enjoyed the exhilaration I got from presenting and the great experience it provided, but I honestly loved meeting new people with the same interests that I have. I made a lot of amazing new friends and got some life-experience under my belt to better prepare me for a bright future." Katrina will graduate in 2007, and plans to study pre-med, English or Biology, and hopes to attend Harvard or Columbia.
Amy Gillio
Conestoga Valley High School
Lancaster, PA
The Relative Risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms as a Function of Exposure to Hurricane Katrina
"My project addresses an issue that our nation needs to face as it recovers from one of the biggest natural disasters in its history. With a current war, unpredictable nature, and violence every day in our country, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in America is predicted to be an ever-growing issue."
Amy Gillio learned about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder prior to Hurricane Katrina. While volunteering as a relief worker in Mississippi, she became concerned that students may be harboring symptoms and were afraid to speak up, or were unaware they had a problem. In her project, Amy compared survey results of high school students in Pennsylvania with those of high school students in Mississippi who had first-hand experience with Hurricane Katrina. She found that 92 percent of Mississippi students exhibited at least one symptom suggestive of emotional problems, but that the rate among Pennsylvania students was also alarmingly high at 40 percent.
When she is not in school, Amy volunteers her time at relief agencies, helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity and participates in local food and clothing drives. She enjoys reading, dancing and playing tennis. She plans to major in Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh.
Ashley Richardson
Governor Thomas Johnson High School
Frederick, MD
The Impact of a Scheduled Hand Washing Policy in Elementary Schools on Student Health
"As an intern for an infectious disease doctor and epidemiologist, I learned how critical proper hand washing is to controlling the spread of illness. I began to wonder about children in a school setting, and if regular hand washing during the school day would limit the spread of illness in schools and have a positive impact on student health."
Ashley Richardson investigated whether there is a connection between increased hand washing by elementary school students and absences due to illness. A comparison of practices in 10 school classrooms did not detect a significant difference between groups who carried out such practices and those who did not, but she did find having a sink in the classroom promotes increased hand washing. Ashley says that, "While the results were not statistically significant, observations from this study supported the need for a long term study and identified factors that may influence participant motivation and ease of compliance with scheduled hand washing during the school day."
Ashley has been a hospital information desk volunteer, and an intern at the National Cancer Institute's HIV Drug Resistance Program. She is a member of the National Honor Society and enjoys photography, reading, and playing the piano and guitar. She will study Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Erin Vickery
Decatur High School
Decatur, GA
Underage Alcohol Consumption: Parent Perception vs. Student Reality
"Underage alcohol consumption has long been high on the list of public health issues. Parent intervention may be an effective means of addressing the issue, but it can't occur if parents are unaware of their children's drinking habits. This study sought to evaluate the discrepancy between high school students' drinking behavior and their parents' knowledge and perception of these behaviors."
Erin Vickery is an 18-year-old senior who conducted a survey on high school students' alcohol drinking behavior and their parents' knowledge and perception of these behaviors. A study of 125 high school students and their parents showed that parents consistently underestimate the age at which their children begin drinking, the amount that they drink, and their preference for shots of hard liquor as their drink of choice. Erin believes this study can inform parents nationwide that they know less about their children's behavior than they think and emphasize the importance of parental intervention.
Erin has participated in the Dekalb Rockdale Science and Engineering Fair and plans to study Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina.