The world knows Malala Yousafzai as the Pakistani progressive activist who was shot by the Taliban for campaigning for the rights of females to get an education. At 17, Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize and was the youngest person to ever receive it, and just a matter of days ago, she also graduated from Oxford University.
Now, 22 years old, Malala took to Twitter to share her joy in having earned her degree, stating, “Hard to express my joy and gratitude right now as I completed my Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree at Oxford. I don’t know what’s ahead. For now, it will be Netflix, reading and sleep.”
She also shared two heartwarming pictures on the social media platform; the first, a snap with her family with a celebratory graduation cake and the second, after a “trashing,” which is an age old Oxford tradition where students are covered in confetti and food following the completion of their exams.
Malala Yousafzai followed in the footsteps of Pakistan’s first female Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, who studied at Oxford University in the 1970s, when she was formally accepted by one of its colleges, Lady Margaret Hall, in 2017.
Hard to express my joy and gratitude right now as I completed my Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree at Oxford. I don’t know what’s ahead. For now, it will be Netflix, reading and sleep.pic.twitter.com/AUxN55cUAf
— Malala (@Malala) June 19, 2020
The young activist didn’t celebrate her graduation alone as celebrities and international leaders also congratulated Malala on Twitter, including singer Shakira who tweeted, “I’m so happy for you @Malala! This is an incredible achievement. I’m so excited to see what you do next but until then, enjoy some me (“you”) time!”
Former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who is also Oxford alumni tweeted, “Congratulations @Malala! You had already achieved more than most do in a lifetime before you even began at Oxford, but completing PPE exams is no small thing and will serve you well as you continue to inspire and lead.”
Keeping Oxford exam traditions alive at home!
— Malala (@Malala) May 25, 2020
What’s your quarantine style? pic.twitter.com/omcntZfolQ
In 2018, Malala wrote an article in which she said, “At 11 years old, I woke up one morning and could not go to school because the Taliban had banned girls’ education in Swat, the region of Pakistan where I was born. I am so pleased that I spoke out and for my years of campaigning that have followed. Now 21, I am able to study at a prestigious university — but I want to live in a world where every girl is able to weigh her future career options in the way I hope to when I graduate.” Now, in 2020, she made it a reality for herself.
