Pakistani social activist, Malala Yousafzai, is a graduate of the prestigious Oxford University now. The activist was among the popular YouTube lineup who addressed the class of 2020 at the virtual graduation ceremony.
Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Shawn Mendes, Katy Perry, and Tailor Swift. Moreover, Michelle Obama also graced the virtual gradual ceremony. Malala Yousafzai besides being a graduate of Oxford Class 2020 addressed the virtual graduation ceremony.
Malala Yousafzai message to the fellow graduate
YouTube also shared a 12-second clip of Malala from the special virtual commencement ceremony. “Don’t be defined by what you lose in this crisis but by how you respond to it,” the 22-year-old shared. “You have gained your education, now it’s time that you go out and use it for the betterment of the world. Congratulations to the class of 2020,” said Malala Yousafzai to the fellow graduates of Oxford University.
Congratulations on your graduation, @Malala! We're honored to share your words and celebrate you as a member of the unstoppable Class of 2020. #DearClassof2020https://t.co/dajFzsKVHq pic.twitter.com/jB8NQ915nD
— YouTube (@YouTube) June 7, 2020
Singer Jennifer Lopez also congratulated, Malala Yousafzai saying she was “most honored” to introduce the girl who inspired her and “took misfortune and turned it into a movement.”
Read more: School named after Malala Yousafzai opens its door in Texas
She then gave a motivational speech to the students. “Got fired? Learning experience. Got your heart broken? Learning experience. Graduating during a global crisis? That’s more than a learning experience. It’s a growing experience,” she said. “You’re learning the most important lesson of all: Every obstacle is an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to change.”
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has given way to the virtual events. Hence, YouTube organized the virtual graduation ceremony to bid farewell to the students.
Malala Yousafzai begin education at Oxford University
The Noble Prize laureate has penned down her experience at the University of Oxford for British Vogue magazine. The editor of the magazine Edward Enninful shared the news from her Twitter account.
Who is Malala Yousafzai?
Malala is a Pakistani Pashtun activist for female education. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. Malala propagates the education of women and children in her native Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She emerged a powerful advocate of female education when the local Taliban had banned girls from attending school in her home town. Her unbridled support for the cause made her an international figure. According to former Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, she is “the most prominent citizen” of the country.
In early 2009, when she was 11–12, she wrote a blog under a pseudonym for the BBC Urdu. In which she detailed her life during the Taliban occupation of Swat. The following summer, journalist Adam B. Ellick made a New York Times documentary about her life. She rose in prominence through international media coverage. She was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize by activist Desmond Tutu.
Taliban gunman shot Malala Yousafzai and two girls on 9 October 2012. The incident happened when girls were way to home on a bus after a school exam. The terrorists targetted her for her activism. The gunman fled the scene. A bullet hit Yousafzai in the head. She remained unconscious and in critical condition at the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology. But her condition later improved enough to transfer her to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK. Hence, the attempt on her life sparked an international outpouring of support for Yousafzai. Deutsche Welle reported in January 2013 that Yousafzai may have become “the most famous teenager in the world”.
The world recognized Malala
Based in Birmingham, she co-founded the Malala Fund, a non-profit organization. In 2013 co-authored I Am Malala, an international bestseller. In 2012, she was the recipient of Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize and the 2013 Sakharov Prize. Also, she was the co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Kailash Satyarthi of India. Also, she is the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate at the age of 17.