It was an evening full of inspiring words, when BSU welcomed to campus Shiza Shahid to discuss her work as co-founder and global ambassador with the Malala Fund, the organization representing 2014 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani activist shot by the Taliban for her campaign on behalf of girls' education.
Named as one of Time magazine's "30 Under 30 World Changers," Forbes "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs and, most recently, Fortune magazine's "55 Most Influential Women on Twitter,” Ms. Shahid discussed her life and the things that led her to a life of activism.
Louis M. Ricciardi, ’81, chairman of the BSU Board of Trustees, and President Dana Mohler-Faria kicked off the evening. The speaker series is sponsored by the president’s office and has featured dignitaries from the worlds of politics, philanthropy, the arts and media.
Ms. Shahid discussed her life working in the Middle East, a world where more than 600 million adolescent girls are denied a formal education. She highlighted four points during her lecture: the need to pursue growth and discovery, knowing you have the power to change what you cannot accept, the importance of living a life of passion, and of creating by “learning, pivoting and innovating.”
She explained how her parents laid the groundwork for her accomplishments by making decisions which allowed her to get the education she needed to successfully earn a scholarship to Stanford University.
“To empower other girls in my country,” Ms. Shahid said is what she promised to achieve in her application essay to Stanford. When she heard about a young girl fighting for the opportunity to go to school in Pakistan, she said she had to react. That girl was Ms. Yousafzai; the rest is history.
“I realized I could touch a few lives by being a volunteer, or I could bring real change if I could mobilize people and advocate,” said Ms. Shahid. She decided to leave her job as a business analyst at Mckinsey and Company in order to advocate for change.
With the resources she gained in the United States, along with help from friends and grants, she began a summer camp, Tree of Knowledge. Her goal was to empower the young girls of Pakistan. Malala was in attendance that first summer.
Malala would go on to famously speak out against the Taliban, a terrorist organization in her homeland that forbid the education of girls. She became a target and was nearly killed. Malala’s story made headlines around the world. The young activist is now 17 and receiving the education she fought for, inspired and guided by Ms. Shahid.
“What Malala had started had the potential to change the world.” Ms. Shahid subsequently helped launch the Malala fund, and the book and movie inspired by Ms. Yousafzai’s story, in hopes of empowering Pakistani girls. “You must never doubt your ability to inspire,” said Ms. Shahid.
She concluded her story with an admonition to the packed Horace Mann auditorium: “I urge you to remember to embrace your strength,” she said. (Story and photos by student Caitlin Seddon, University News)