Allen ISD Where Eagles Soar Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 11

M
Science Fair Whiz Looks
Beyond Awards
eghana Nadella has her eyes set on helping
people around the world and she hasn’t even
graduated from Allen High School yet. The
AHS senior has spent the past four years studying how
clay can help purify water, and she’s collected a handful
of science fair ribbons along the way.
Nadella’s inspiration for the subject came as a
freshman when she read a research paper from Arizona
State University that studied how a certain type of clay
could reduce skin-infected ulcers. Nadella wanted to
see if other types of clay could also help kill bacteria,
and just like that, she had the basis for a science project
that would guide her for the rest of her high school
career.
Meghana’s science fair project for her senior year was four years in
th e making.
Over the next four years, Nadella continued to
work on the project and refine it, submitting her
updated findings for each year’s science fair. By
her senior year she had created a filtration system
made of clay that could kill bacteria and provide
potable water in just six hours.
“Water-borne diseases are one of the leading
causes of death in the world, which is shocking to
me that this is still an issue in 2018,” Nadella said.
“You could use this in developing nations, or even
areas in developed nations, like Flint, Michigan.”
Nadella has earned a collection of awards in
science fairs over the years, including most recently
the Junior Water Prize from the Stockholm
International Water Project in 2018. Her project
also earned her the honor of being named one
of only 300 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars in
the nation. Despite her success in the field, Nadella wasn’t
always a fan of science class in school.
“I actually hated science when I was younger – I just
thought it was all about metamorphosis and bugs,” Nadella
said. “Then, Jamee Little, my science teacher at Kerr
Elementary, gave a lesson on photosynthesis and I realized
how intricate and complicated science could be. I began
engaging in class, and I entered my first science fair that
year.”
That one lesson in elementary school helped fuel
Meghana was honored at the AHS Science Club meeting by
AISD Science Coordinator Jason Baughman and AHS Chemistry
Teacher Sandy Kulkarni for being named a Regeneron Scholar.
Nadella’s love of science, and will continue to follow her
after graduation when she attends college, and ultimately
medical school. Nadella says that Allen High School’s
International Baccalaureate (IB) program has prepared her
for whichever university she decides to attend.
“The IB program at Allen has enriched my experience
as a student,” Nadella said. “It’s helped me become a
better speaker, a better writer, and has given me a better
perspective of the world. IB has helped shape me and
prepare me for college.”
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