The story of Malala Yousafzai is one that makes the listener feel both horrified and inspired. It was just five short years ago that she was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban. She was on her way home from school, and it was banned for girls to be educated. She survived the attack and her injury. Since then she has become an advocate for making sure girls receive an education. The best part of this story? Five years later Malala is attending her first semester at Oxford.
She went to her first lecture on the 5th anniversary of the tragedy, and of course tweeted about it. She stated “5 years ago, I was shot in an attempt to stop me from speaking out for girls’ education. Today, I attend my first lectures at Oxford.”
It was reported in August that she would be attending Oxford and studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Her story is one of tenacity and success. She was driven out of her country because of her desire to be educated and is now standing on the other side, ready to get her college degree at one of the world’s elite universities.
This girl is certainly nothing short of amazing. At the age of 16, she was the youngest person to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. She was blogging about her experiences under Taliban influence starting in 2009. Because of her voice for women’s rights for education, the Taliban considered her a threat, and an assassination attempt was made on her on her way home from school one day.
She was immediately hospitalized and then moved to Birmingham, England for continued care. Thankfully, she experienced no actual brain damage. She was able to continue her education, has spoken at the U.N. and written an autobiography. She’s now adding to that list, college student. It seems crazy that someone with so much life experience still needs to attend college, but it makes sense that the advocate for education, would make it a priority to attend college herself.
She is still a target for the Taliban, but that hasn’t stopped her from speaking up for the rights of women and education. Despite the mark, the Pakistani Prime Minister said that she had brought pride to her countrymen. She has even opened a school for Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon. The school is intended for girls ages 14-18.
Malala is a true real-life hero, not only for girls but for everyone. She demonstrates bravery and advocacy for a worthy cause. She demonstrates that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can always make a difference for the world.
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Sources: Huffington Post, Biography, and Nobel Prize
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