Quote of the Day

Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.

-Nelson Mandela

One in a Million

"You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation."

--Brigham Young

Malala Yousafzai is known for her education and women’s rights activism in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, were the Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. 

In early 2009, at the age of 11 Yousafzai wrote a blog under a pseudonym (fake name) for the BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for girls.

The following summer, a New York Times documentary was filmed about her life as the Pakistani military intervened in the region.

On 9 October 2012, Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen while returning home on a school bus. The attack sparked global support for worldwide access education opportunities for girls including the creation of Malala Day July 12.

Last academic year, our diversity committee launched a public awareness project in support of education for girls and the Malala Fund.

Students campaigned and educated us about gender discrimination and also raised money for Malala’s medical care.

She has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the 2013 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament, the 2013 Clinton Global Citizen Awards from the Clinton Foundation; and was nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

And on Saturday October 12th the Fenn Boys attended a conversation with Malala herself at the Boston College High School.

Talking to some of the boys who went said they loved it. Malala who is just sixteen (about our age) has changed this world and gotten people to think in a different way about education.

Her story is fascinating and in just a few bullet points we were able to recap what she said that day.

Malala

Favorite show Ugly Betty

Told Obama to send books and Pencils to Pakistan rather than guns and weapons

Pakistan is our home

Swat where she lives is its her paradise

2007 Terrorism took full force

2009 Terrorists stopped girls from going to school

and soon after that it became worse because they blew up schools every time a girl tried going

A total of 400 schools were destroyed

“Grew up in School.”

loved school because she was learning but not about math and science but about basic equality of life

Learned how to be kind to everyone

Education is imp because we are not only building our own future but the future of Pakistan

Imp to struggle, raise your voice, and freedom will come

God made me as high as the sky

When I was shot I did not know that the world was praying for me

Taliban are not thinking

Education is Education and the Taliban will never take it away from us

I am certainly not afraid of the Taliban nor am I afraid of death

Wherever I go I want to make a change for girls around the world.

(Malala at BC. High School on Saturday Oct 12th)