The
of Kiara
Click to see what's inside KIARA's head
Instead, Nirghin thinks of every setback, error, or failure as getting her one step closer to the solution. She hopes other young women and girls can adopt this mindset and start putting their creativity to use tackling some of the biggest environmental, societal, and technological challenges our world is facing today. Nirghin's advice for the next generation of scientists? "Stay curious," she says. "The world needs you and your brain."
and Staking Her Claim
Of course, the equitable, sustainable future Nirghin dreams of isn't possible without other innovators like her — and to meet that future, Nirghin hopes more women and girls will study STEM. "If the cure to cancer is in a young girl's mind, if she doesn’t have the opportunity to learn STEM, we’re not going to get the solution," she explains. "We need to give girls the necessary resources to create change." Nirghin remembers feeling so intimidated by the male-dominated environment in science class as a teen — and then feeling even more discouraged when she didn't understand the material right away. She taught herself to always give 110 percent — not merely 100 percent — to both master the lessons and earn her peers' respect.
Nirghin hopes sharing her experience in STEM can start to break down the barriers for other girls who aspire to become scientists or engineers. A big part of the experience is being comfortable making mistakes, Nirghin says. "Every single day involves being wrong — about code, experiments, or my ideas. I live with a consistent trial-and-error mindset," she explains. "Setbacks are central to scientific advancement, but girls are often more cautious about failure than boys. Teaching girls how to use failure [to their advantage] is critical to their progress in STEM fields and, later, in their own research projects."
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We need to give girls the necessary resources to create
Creativity isn't only the domain of artists, writers, and musicians — it's also a crucial component of the scientific process. In fact, creativity is at the heart of 22-year-old student, technologist, and inventor Kiara Nirghin's work. Nirghin harnesses the power of her imagination to build a new future through innovation — an inspiration she shares with Coca-Cola® Dreamworld. This limited-edition flavor from Coca-Cola Creations explores the realms of the surreal, the imaginary, and the otherworldly, much like how Nirghin explores new possibilities through technology.
Nirghin's big break onto the scientific scene happened at age 16, when her invention of a superabsorbent polymer made from orange peels and avocado skins won the grand prize at the Google Science Fair. Made entirely from waste products, the polymer can be planted alongside crops to increase the amount of water available during a drought and boost crop growth. "I developed the new polymer after using this deep focus into a circular economy, sustainability, and after firsthand seeing how the water crisis was affecting South Africa, my home country, on a month-long road trip with my family," Nirghin explains.
Creativity didn't just fuel Nirghin's invention, either. "In all honesty, my love for creativity is what saved my life when I was 13 years old," she says. As a young teen, Nirghin contracted a parasite-induced disease called bilharzia that led to extreme weight loss, severe jaundice, and a serious case of bacterial meningitis. While she was in the hospital, Nirghin spent hours and hours reading research publications and studying science. "It was also a deeply introspective period of my life, during which I began to seriously consider what creativity meant in terms of looking at some of the social, economic, and environmental challenges the world was facing," she says.
Today, Nirghin is studying computer science, sustainability, and climate innovation at Stanford University — and in her spare time, she advises major fashion brands on their sustainability efforts. If creativity fuels her innovation, technology is what gives Nirghin hope for the future. "Technology is what makes me believe new worlds, creativity, and problem solving are possible, scalable, and global," she says. Her work centers on using new technology in creative ways to really make you think — similar to how Coca-Cola® Dreamworld makes you reconsider what you think you already know about one of the world's most popular brands. Nirghin is particularly interested in the impact that recent developments like artificial intelligence, Web3, and blockchain technologies like NFTs could have on both the IRL and digital worlds.
of Her Work
Why This 22-Year-Old Inventor Says Creativity is at the
CREDITS
Editor: Annalise Mantz
Art Direction: Becky Joy
Photographer: Oscar Ouk
Production: Hannah Lee
Set Design: Carrie Hill
Makeup Artist: Kevin Cheah
Hair Stylist: Mark Alan Esparza
DIT: Kevin Lavallade
Wardrobe Stylist: Alexis Badiyi
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Nirghin hopes sharing her experience in STEM can start to break down the barriers for other girls who aspire to become scientists or engineers. A big part of the experience is being comfortable making mistakes, Nirghin says. "Every single day involves being wrong — about code, experiments, or my ideas. I live with a consistent trial-and-error mindset," she explains. "Setbacks are central to scientific advancement, but girls are often more cautious about failure than boys. Teaching girls how to use failure [to their advantage] is critical to their progress in STEM fields and, later, in their own research projects."
Instead, Nirghin thinks of every setback, error, or failure as getting her one step closer to the solution. She hopes other young women and girls can adopt this mindset and start putting their creativity to use tackling some of the biggest environmental, societal, and technological challenges our world is facing today. Nirghin's advice for the next generation of scientists? "Stay curious," she says. "The world needs you and your brain."
We need to give girls the necessary resources to create
Of course, the equitable, sustainable future Nirghin dreams of isn't possible without other innovators like her — and to meet that future, Nirghin hopes more women and girls will study STEM. "If the cure to cancer is in a young girl's mind, if she doesn’t have the opportunity to learn STEM, we’re not going to get the solution," she explains. "We need to give girls the necessary resources to create change." Nirghin remembers feeling so intimidated by the male-dominated environment in science class as a teen — and then feeling even more discouraged when she didn't understand the material right away. She taught herself to always give 110 percent — not merely 100 percent — to both master the lessons and earn her peers' respect.
Nirghin first discovered the power of her imagination at 16, when her invention of a superabsorbent polymer made from orange peels and avocado skins won the grand prize at the Google Science Fair. Made entirely from waste products, the polymer can be planted alongside crops to increase the amount of water available during a drought and boost crop growth. "I developed the new polymer after using this deep focus into a circular economy, sustainability, and after firsthand seeing how the water crisis was affecting South Africa, my home country, on a month-long road trip with my family," Nirghin explains.
Creativity didn't just fuel Nirghin's invention, either. "In all honesty, my love for creativity is what saved my life when I was 13 years old," she says. As a young teen, Nirghin contracted a parasite-induced disease called bilharzia that led to extreme weight loss, severe jaundice, and a serious case of bacterial meningitis. While she was in the hospital, Nirghin spent hours and hours reading research publications and studying science. "It was also a deeply introspective period of my life, during which I began to seriously consider what creativity meant in terms of looking at some of the social, economic, and environmental challenges the world was facing," she says.
Nirghin's big break onto the scientific scene happened at age 16, when her invention of a superabsorbent polymer made from orange peels and avocado skins won the grand prize at the Google Science Fair. Made entirely from waste products, the polymer can be planted alongside crops to increase the amount of water available during a drought and boost crop growth. "I developed the new polymer after using this deep focus into a circular economy, sustainability, and after firsthand seeing how the water crisis was affecting South Africa, my home country, on a month-long road trip with my family," Nirghin explains.
Creativity didn't just fuel Nirghin's invention, either. "In all honesty, my love for creativity is what saved my life when I was 13 years old," she says. As a young teen, Nirghin contracted a parasite-induced disease called bilharzia that led to extreme weight loss, severe jaundice, and a serious case of bacterial meningitis. While she was in the hospital, Nirghin spent hours and hours reading research publications and studying science. "It was also a deeply introspective period of my life, during which I began to seriously consider what creativity meant in terms of looking at some of the social, economic, and environmental challenges the world was facing," she says.
of Her Work
Why This 22-Year-Old Inventor Says Creativity is at the
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The
of Kiara
Discover what new worlds you can open yourself up to with Coca-Cola® Dreamworld, the newest limited-edition flavor from Coca-Cola Creations that makes the most fascinating parts of imagination real. Coca-Cola® Dreamworld is inspired by the Gen Z creators exploring new realms — from the surreal to the scientific.
A New World
Explore Coca-Cola Creations
CREDITS
Editor: Annalise Mantz
Art Direction: Becky Joy
Photographer: Oscar Ouk
Production: Hannah Lee
Set Design: Carrie Hill
Makeup Artist: Kevin Cheah
Hair Stylist: Mark Alan Esparza
DIT: Kevin Lavallade
Wardrobe Stylist: Alexis Badiyi
A New World
Discover what new worlds you can open yourself up to with Coca-Cola® Dreamworld, the newest limited-edition flavor from Coca-Cola Creations that makes the most fascinating parts of imagination real. Coca-Cola® Dreamworld is inspired by the Gen Z creators exploring new realms — from the surreal to the scientific.
Explore Coca-Cola Creations
.
Today, Nirghin is studying computer science, sustainability, and climate innovation at Stanford University — and in her spare time, she advises major fashion brands on their sustainability efforts. If creativity fuels her innovation, technology is what gives Nirghin hope for the future. "Technology is what makes me believe new worlds, creativity, and problem solving are possible, scalable, and global," she says. Her work centers on using new technology in creative ways to really make you think — similar to how Coca-Cola® Dreamworld makes you reconsider what you think you already know about one of the world's most popular brands. Nirghin is particularly interested in the impact that recent developments like artificial intelligence, Web3, and blockchain technologies like NFTs could have on both the IRL and digital worlds.
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