1. Malala Yousafzai
"I speak not for myself but for those without voice... those who have fought for their
rights... Their right to live in peace, their right to be treated with dignity, their right to equality of
opportunity, their right to be educated."-Malala. Malala is a great person to me, but you might
not know of her. So this is her story.
Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in
Mingora, Pakistan. For the first few years of her life, her hometown
remained a popular tourist spot that was known for its summer
festivals. However, the area began to change as the Taliban tried
to take control. Malala went to her dad's school. After the Taliban
started to attack girls schools, Malala gave a speech. "How dare
the Taliban take away my basic right to education?"- Malala.
In early 2009, Malala began blogging for the BBC about
living under the Taliban's threats to her education. In order to hide her identity, she used the
name Gul Makai. But later on the taliban found out it was her.
When she was 14, Malala and her family learned that the Taliban had issued a death
threat against her. Malala thought that the taliban would not harm a child. On October 9, 2012,
on her way home from school, a man boarded the bus Malala was riding in and demanded to
know which girl was Malala. When her friends looked toward Malala, she was given away. The
man shot her with his gun hitting Malala in the left
side of her head; the bullet then traveled down her
neck. Two other girls were also injured in the attack.
The shooting left Malala in critical condition,
so she was flown to Birmingham, England. Once she
was in the United Kingdom, Malala was taken out of a

2. medically induced coma. Though she would
require multiple surgeries—including repair
of a facial nerve to fix the paralyzed left side
of her face—she had suffered no major
brain damage. In 2013 she was back up and
doing speeches.
Lastly, despite the Taliban's
threats, Malala remains a staunch advocate
for the power of education. On October 10,
2013, in acknowledgement of her work, the
European Parliament awarded her the
Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
She has also been nominated for a Nobel
Peace Prize. Should she win, she will be the
youngest honoree in the history of the
award.