Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, who stood up to the Taliban and won a Nobel Peace Prize for championing girls’ right to an education, addressed a crowd of thousands at the Dunkin Donuts Center on Thursday evening.
Before her speech, she met with middle school students at Sophia Academy, an all-girls private school that serves low-income and minority students at risk of dropping out.
About 40 students and alumnae gathered to hear Yousafzai speak, ask questions and chat over pizza. Marie Shabani, who graduated this spring, said it was an experience she will never forget.
“Before I saw her as a superstar,” Shabani said. “But when she was right in front of me, I was like, oh, she’s human, she’s normal. She’s in high school.”
Yousafzai told Shabani and about the other students gathered that they give her a sense of hope for the future.
“I have been doing lots of events, but when I see young girls, it just reminds me that the future can be bright because all these girls have passion, they can contribute to the world,” Yousafzai said. “So thank you for giving me the hope that the world is going to be a better place.”
In her address to the students, Youafzai highlighted the importance of education and weighed in on a variety of topics, including U.S. politics and the condition of women across the world.
