Malala Yousafzai

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Since the beginning of time, civilizations have looked up to heroes for worthy role models. Ancient and epic Greek and Roman heroes, for example, are strong males who conquer fierce beasts across distant lands. Even today, people visualize the intense, passionate heroes of vintage music or the masked, muscled men of video games as heroes. As a student in the twenty-first century, I find that meaningful role models are not the glorified comic heroes or the glamorized celebrities that teenagers see online. Instead, I believe society should refer to more wholesome idols from all backgrounds. We should look to people who are not always glorified, yet just as deserving. These are the people who do not perform superhuman feats, but instead endure hardships in order to ensure the wellbeing of others. Heroes must possess courage to face the sacrifices and challenges on their journey to achieving their goals, without turning their back on those who depend on them. They should be selected and praised based on their morals, their battles, and their efforts. Heroes carry altruism, persistence, and valor during their struggle for society's edification.

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Many of today's teens, including myself, take the privilege of education for granted. One girl stands out in the crowd as someone who eagerly risked her life for this freedom; one who inspires and moves the minds and hearts of people worldwide. Born on July 12, 1997 in Mingora in the Swat Valley, Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai is an inspiration to girls worldwide. She speaks up in a South-Asian country where women's voices are hushed and needs sometimes neglected, and terrorist groups such as the Taliban repress their freedoms. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, sparked her belief in universal education; by following through with what she believed in, Yousafzai was awarded the Youth National Peace Prize and Nobel Peace Prize. She also set up the Malala Fund to support girls' education in developing countries and visited numerous countries for her campaign, including Lebanon, Nigeria, and the United States. An eager and charismatic student, she is now finishing school in Birmingham, England. Yousafzai proves that true heroes must work for to improve civilization, not just for their own fame or wealth. Despite the challenges they face, real heroes find the strength to push through until successfully attaining their objectives. Her selfless endeavors in advocacy for girls' rights, adamant determination in reaching her goals, and courageous defiance of the Taliban's rulings make Malala Yousafzai a hero, not only in Pakistan, but globally.

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Yousafzai displays her selfless nature in her movement for accessible education. There was a point in her life where she became an internally displaced person (IDP), and was forced to move from her home in Mingora to seek safety from the Taliban. Yet, in spite of her own struggles, Yousafzai thought of the suffering of others: "As we crossed the Malakand Pass I saw a young girl selling oranges. She was scratching marks on a piece of paper with a pencil to account for the oranges she had sold as she could not read or write. I took a photo of her and vowed I would do everything in my power to help educate girls like her. This was the war I was going to fight" (Yousafzai 217). While she was struggling with the changes in her life, Yousafzai shifted her focus on those who she knew needed her help.  She turns the center of attention to the living and educational situation of impoverished children in the Swat Valley, such as the girl selling oranges. Yousafzai shows her true compassion in battling for the children's schooling and fighting for the empowerment for those who cannot access it; her bold actions depict her as a selfless person who drives only to attain her cause, arguing for the girls' right to be educated. Afterward, while receiving the Nobel Peace prize for her activism. Yousafzai acknowledged those who are in need of her help:  "'This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change'" ("Malala Yousafzai - Biographical"). In her moment of glory, Yousafzai is humble. She takes the spotlight only to divert the attention to the victims of the prosecution she works to end and recognizes that there are still people who need help. Yousafzai thus proves her selfless character. She works for the betterment of society, not for personal gain, while pushing for uneducated children around the world. The selfless nature and pure intentions of her advocacy convey her passion for helping others.

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Yousafzai never gave up on her campaign for children's rights, proving her resiliency. The Taliban's extremist presence posed a threat to her family and forced the Yousafzais out of their home. Leaving her village did not deter her from the path to her goal of standard schooling for all children. Upon her return to Mingora, she resumed and increased her efforts: " [she] continued her public crusade for her right to go to school. over the course of the next three years, she and her father became known throughout Pakistan for their determination to give Pakistani girls access to a free quality education" ("Malala Yousafzai - Biographical"). Yousafzai's new status as an IDP did not shake her passion; she continued fighting for girls' education. Even when pushed beyond her level of comfort, Yousafzai had the necessary grit to keep moving along to reach her goals despite the underlying dangers. The Taliban's conquering of her homeland posed a great obstruction in her path to educating the young and impoverished, but she looked past this obstacle and directly toward her objective. Through three grueling years, she worked fervently and eventually gained attention for her efforts. Later, when the Taliban began shutting down girls' schools, they sent her threats because of her open resistance. Yet Yousafzai did not surrender:"'Maybe we should stop our campaigning, Jani, and go into hibernation for a time,' said my father. 'How can we do that?' I replied. 'You were the one who said if we believe in something greater than our lives, then our voices will only multiply even if we are dead. We can't disown our campaign!'"(Yousafzai 224). Malala displays the grit real heroes display when faced with such troubles. The Taliban targeted her in order to silence her voice, but the resilient Yousafzai ignored them. She does not back down when faced with such threats and instead directs her gaze toward the future, where she can make her goals a reality and improve the lives of others. Yousafzai is not disheartened by new ravines or steep inclines in her uphill battle; she instead carries the grit to climb past them and reach the highest peak.

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Malala Yousafzai's campaign for education, resilience in challenging times, and valor against the Taliban's authority make her a true symbol of heroism. Her advocacy for children's schooling reveals her selflessness, her refusal to back down despite facing personal challenges displays an immeasurable amount of determination, and her rejection of the Taliban's idealism while under their heavy ruling uncover her raw courage. Yousafzai's attempts to make not only her country, but the world, a better place for young students are part of an altruism that most others cannot outshine. Yet, even before a nearly fatal attack expanded her popularity and name, the young girl began a movement to fight for what she believed the world needed. Malala Yousafzai inspires me because she endured extraordinary hardships for a simple privilege we take for granted. The one thing that teenagers like myself so dread and drone on about is what has kept her going; school. When I wake up on a typical school morning, I already think of how laborious the day will be. Yet, when I look at Malala's face on the cover of her memoir, I am immediately reminded of what she went through just to go to school. On days when I cannot handle trivial matters, I wonder how, if she could go to school after being shot in the face, then why can I not survive a normal day? She was so passionate about learning that, during her recovery in the hospital, she asked for her schoolbooks as soon as she could. I would not have the strength to continue to speak for children's rights with a target over my head-- but Malala Yousafzai did. If I lack motivation, looking at Yousafzai's example will push me forward, because she is a symbol of true determination and resiliency. She is a reminder to students like myself that education is a privilege that empowers youth. She is a reminder to young girls worldwide that no man, government, or power can oppress their potential. She is a reminder to educators and parents that schooling can empower children from humble beginnings. Yousafzai is proof that righteous intentions can overcome corruption. She possesses strong character traits and uses them to change the world for the better. In the end, she continues to campaign in order to help the lives of people on an even broader scale. Through selflessness, determination, and bravery, she has evolved and overcome challenges she never could have imagined. Her strong character and inspirational spirit define her as not a muscular man on a journey to battle monsters, but the headscarf-clad and book-carrying hero of today's youth.

Works Cited

BBC News. "Profile: Malala Yousafzai." BBC News, BBC, 10 Dec. 2014,

www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23241937. Accessed 1 May 2017.

"Malala Yousafzai - Biographical." Nobelprize.org, The Nobel Foundation, 2014,

www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2014/yousafzai-bio.html. Accessed 4 May 2017.

"Malala Yousafzai." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2015. Biography in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000313123/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=a16a7406.

Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.

"Malala Yousafzai." Gale Biography in Context, Gale, 2012. Biography in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650008545/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=4df4963f.

Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.

Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: the Girl Who Stood up for Education and

Was Shot by the Taliban. New York, NY, Little, Brown and Company, 2013.