Photo used under Creative Commons license from flickr.com user carbonfibreme

When I was 16, I was a sophomore in high school, I had just gotten my braces off, I dropped AP Government because it was too much work and I dreaded going to geometry every day because I thought it was a waste of my time. You can tell that I was committed to my academics, right? But for 16-year-old Malala Yousafzai, education, especially for women, is her top priority and although she didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize, I strongly believe she doesn’t need an award to prove she has been a tremendous positive influence on the world.

A year ago, the Taliban shot Yousafzai in the head on a school bus. She had been blogging for a couple of years about what it was like to live under Taliban rule and how women deserve the right to go to school and have a proper education. After the attempted assassination, Yousafzai became an instant icon for advocating for peace and education and a year later, she is just as influential.

A couple of weeks ago Yousafzai appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and left Stewart “speechless” with her eloquent words about peace and education. Yousafzai talked about the time she found out she was a target of the Taliban and what she planned do if they came to her. She thought about using her shoe as a weapon, but decided it wasn’t the right thing to do.

“If you hit a Talib, then there would be no difference between you and the Talib,” Yousafzai said. “You must not treat others with cruelty…You must fight others through peace and through dialogue and through education.”

Preach it sister.

After she said this, Stewart covered his mouth with his hands while the audience roared with applause. Stewart then asked Yousafzai if he could adopt her. I don’t blame him for asking.

Yousafzai is without a doubt a hero and more people in the world need to have an attitude like hers. More people need to have the Gandhi mentality, as I like to call it.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

If you don’t like the way something is, change it. Don’t just complain about it, do something to change it. Yousafzai could have easily not advocated for girls’ right to education but she spoke to the media and voiced her opinion.

I admire all the efforts and advocacy Yousafzai has done and it’s my only wish that others are inspired by her the way I am.