MALALA YOUSAFZAI

Malala Yousufzai is an advocate for girls' education. She grew up in the Swat Valley of Pakistan while a terrorist group called the Taliban were threatening violence on girls who were choosing to go to school. Instead of complying, she bravely spoke out and fought peacefully for girls' rights, despite the threat of violence.

IN HER 20 YEARS OF LIFE, MALALA HAS:

• Published articles for BBC under a pseudonym
• Published her book, “I Am Malala"
• Spoken to political leaders around the world about girls' education
• Won the Nobel Peace Prize at 17, becoming the youngest person to do so
• Continued to speak out even after being shot in the head by a member of the Taliban

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES

• Bravery
• Perseverance
• Assertiveness
• Kindness
• Intelligence
• Dedication

While I am very different from Malala Yousafzai, I identify with her in lots of ways. We are both girls who are passionate about women’s rights. We both love learning, reading and education. We have both faced trials and hardships, though hers have been much scarier than mine, and we both want to make the world a better place. Malala is the type of person that I aspire to be like every day.