Go Big Read- I am Malala

Monday night I had the honor of hearing Shiza Shahid speak at an event for Go Big Read at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Shiza Shahid is the CEO and co founder of the Malala fund. During this talk Shiza talked about her own journey as well as how she met Malala. Malala is a school girl who was shot in the head three times, by the Taliban, on a bus back home from school because she demanded that she have a right to go to school. Malala miraculously survived, and she now shares her story through the Malala fund to empower other girls to demand their right to an education. Shiza Shahid met Malala when she put on a summer camp for girls in the Swat Valley so they could secretly continue to get an education even though the Taliban were attempting to deny them the right. Shiza put on this camp when she was home in Pakistan from Stanford University. The story of both Malala and Shiza Shahid was very empowering. Their stories show us that even at a young age one can achieve so much and truly make a difference.  Overall, this talk made me realize that I take being educated at a great university for granted and that many girls around the world are denied this right every day.