My Hero: Malala Yousafzai | Teen Ink

My Hero: Malala Yousafzai

December 3, 2017
By samanthahartmann SILVER, Marrero, Louisiana
samanthahartmann SILVER, Marrero, Louisiana
5 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan. From her early life, she became an advocate for girl’s education. Since she had such strong beliefs from such a young age, the Taliban threatened her and her family, which led to an altercation between both groups. She went to a school, which her father had founded, and while she was there, she started her blog about pressing issues that her community faced. One of these issues being how the Taliban was taking education away from people, especially girls. Even since this young age, Malala has spoken out about her opinion on why girls should be allowed to have a good education, and she had become a role model for girls all over the world. These strong feelings that she has help determine some of her great qualities. The three traits of bravery, generosity, and wisdom are the main reason why Malala Yousafzai is my hero because she will defend her beliefs with the utmost confidence until the day she dies.
One trait that Malala Yousafzai has that makes her my hero is bravery; she has been known to stand up for her beliefs even in the toughest of situations. One prime example of this bravery is when Malala faced the Taliban on her way home from school. She was heading home one day, when her school bus got hijacked by the Taliban who were residing in Pakistan. The Taliban questioned her because they knew that her and her father were activists for education, which they did not agree with. An armed Taliban member shot Malala in the head, and the bullet traveled down her neck. She was rushed to the hospital in Peshawar in critical condition; part of her skull was removed to help with brain swelling. She was then transferred to London to receive further treatment and recognition for her bravery. I find her story to be very inspiring to everyone because she has so much bravery in the face of immense danger, and she continues to spread her message to all about how important education truly is.
Another trait of Malala Yousafzai is that she has so much generosity when it comes to fighting for what she believes is right. She stands up for some of the biggest problems that the world faces, and she does so with great confidence and determination. Malala Yousafzai has an enormous amount of generosity because she fights for the rights of people she does not even know. This act is very admirable because she could do anything with her free time, but she chooses to be an advocate for women and children’s rights. Malala once said, “ I tell my story, not because it is unique. But because it is the story of many girls.” I think that this quote sums up the whole truth behind Malala’s generosity, because she could have stopped fighting after she received an education. But instead she continued to fight for people she has never even met, and she is changing the world one step at a time because of her generosity.
A third trait that Malala Yousafzai has that makes her my hero is her wisdom; she has been so well educated on her beliefs, and she had received many awards for her accomplishments. Malala Yousafzai was awarded the National Youth Peace Prize by the Pakistani government, and she was nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize in 2011. She was also named one of “TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.” She is also the youngest person to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala Yousafzai also wrote a book telling her story I am Malala: The Girl who stood up for Education and was shot by the Taliban. She had also become a public activist and advocate for women and children's educational rights, and she started “The Malala Fund.” This foundation raises money to help build schools for children and provide children with the proper tools for learning. All of these awards and accomplishments are another reason why she is my hero, because she, even from a young age, has obtained the wisdom to fight for her beliefs and become influential in millions of people’s lives.
Malala Yousafzai is my modern day hero because of the many heroic traits she possess, such as bravery, generosity, and wisdom. She has become a role model for girls all around the world, which is very inspiring. Malala has faced death and fear head on, but these experiences have not slowed her down, but only made her stronger, which is very heroic. Malala shows bravery because she continues to fight for her beliefs even in the worst possible scenario. She shows the trait of generosity because she continues to fight for women's and children’s educational rights to this day, and she risked her life for people she has never even met before. She also shows the trait of wisdom because she has been very well educated on her beliefs, and she had won many awards and recognitions for her dedication and service to the world. Therefore, Malala Yousafzai is my modern day hero because she has strong morals and dedication to spread her message, while exhibiting the traits of bravery, generosity, and wisdom in her day to day life.



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