Costa senior Zoe Nicols stepped into the spotlight this fall on November 15th as one of Mira Costa’s student speakers at TEDx, an organized event that hosts local speakers to share ideas and stories. She is using her platform to change how people view food waste, and shedding light on how small misunderstandings can contribute to billions of pounds of food wasted each year.
Nicols’s journey with TEDx began unexpectedly. As the president of Costa’s South Bay Food Initiative club (SBFI), she had already begun exploring sustainability issues and looking for ways to make an impact outside of campus. Her passion for reducing food waste caught the attention of Ms. Valbuena, her AP Capstone teacher, who suggested she apply. A few weeks later, Nicols received an invite to share her ideas on a bigger stage at TEDx.
“I never actually applied for TEDx, they reached out to me about the work I had been doing in SBFI,” Nicols said. “It felt surreal, but I knew it was going to be a great opportunity.”
Once selected, Nicols began working with speech writing and speaking coaches to refine her delivery. From drafting her script to memorizing every line, she spent months preparing to make sure her message was clear and powerful.
“The preparation has been alot,” Nicols said. “I’ve learned so much about speaking though. I’m super nervous especially because everyone keeps saying they are going to come see me, but this has become a huge growing moment.”
Nicols’s talk focuses on the confusion around food labels, focusing on “best by” and “sell by” dates. Through her research, she found that these labels often cause people to throw out perfectly safe food.
“Most people assume what those labels mean, I mean I did too until I was donating food through my club and thought to ask about it,” Nicols said.” Once I understood that, I realized how much unnecessary waste comes from misunderstandings.”
For Nicols, this project has become more than just reducing waste, it’s about changing the world. She hoped her message helps people think differently about their habits and see how small, informed choices can make a big difference.
“We live in such a flourishing community, but if you even drive 20 minutes inland you’ll see how much other communities need food,” Nicols said. “If everyone made sustainable choices no one in the world would go hungry.”
As she prepares to deliver her TEDx talk, Nicols reflects on how much the experience has taught her about using her voice for good.
“This experience has really taught me how powerful I can be,” Nicols said. “If anyone has a passion I hope they continue to pursue it because hard work does pay off.”
Looking ahead, Nicols hopes her talk inspires her peers to explore their own passions and find a way to make a difference.
“My biggest goal is to make people think differently about the food they waste every day,” Nicols said. “If even a few people walk away rethinking their habits, that’s a success.”
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