Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora Pakistan, a country where girls’ education rights are not widespread. As a child, she became an advocate for the rights of girls’ education. Her bravery resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her because she continued to go to school despite them telling her not to.

On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school. She was transferred to a Hospital in England to be treated. After multiple surgeries and coming out of a medically-induced coma, Malala survived the attack without any permanent brain damage.

In March of 2013, Malala began attending school in Birmingham, England and has continued to speak out on the importance of education. She gave a speech at the United Nations on her 16^th birthday, in 2013. She also has written a book entitled I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was shot by The Taliban, from which the information for this article was gained.

She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 but did not receive it. This year she was again nominated and was awarded the Nobel peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee this fall for “her struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to an education.” At sixteen years old, Malala is the youngest person to ever be awarded the prize. The official website of the Nobel Prize notes that through her heroic struggle she has become a leading spokesperson for girls’ rights to education. Malala Yousafzai said, “I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school, all I want is an education and I am afraid of no one.”

My call to the students of Lincoln Way Central is that, even though school can be rough sometimes, be grateful for your right to an education. There are children like Malala all over the world who have their lives threatened while trying to fight for their own right to an education; don’t take what you have for granted.