LONDON – Malala Yousafzai, one of Pakistan’s two Nobel laureates, recently shared special moments with brother who graduated and expressed gratitude to his family on the accomplishment of completing university.
On the occasion, a Pakistani education activist shared the story on Instagram, as she stands next to his brother. ‘So proud of you brother! You worked so hard through every step of the journey. Congratulations,’ she said.
Malala’s brother also shared an emotional note on social media ‘I let my family and friends down and felt like the biggest loser! 4 years ago, I failed my A-levels, and although the people around me had unconditional love for me, I felt that I had let them down and wasn’t good enough for anything. I never thought I would be able to get into university, let alone King’s, because I got BDE in my A-levels, and I thought there was no way I could come back from this’, he said.
He said ‘I thought of doing A-levels all over again was the scariest feeling ever. However, I was lucky because my family and friends didn’t give up on me during those difficult times, especially my mom, who supported my decision of retaking A-levels the most’.
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Khusal said he decided to retake them because he believed it was a disservice to God, his family, and friends to give up. ‘I gave myself a second chance and worked really hard during those loneliest times. I would go on long, lonely runs late in the darkest nights with tears in my eyes, envisioning and imagining moments of getting into university and making my people proud. In those dark days, I had to fight a voice inside my head that wanted me to destroy myself by giving in and accepting that I am just a loser that is no good for anything or anyone. We all have that voice inside our heads crippling us with fear, and that’s the most important exam we take on a daily basis, and passing that exam was the most important task at hand, and it still is. The fight against our demons never ends,’ he further added.
The newly graduated further mentioned that his real victory is not graduation; it is the love you have for me. Success means nothing when you don’t have anyone to celebrate it with. I have learned not to place my esteem solely on external achievements; however, seeing the smiles on my family’s faces at the graduation was a moment I will never forget. It makes all the struggles I have gone through worth it. I dedicate my accomplishment to those whom I love. You are my real victory.
In the year 2020, Malala Yousafzai has officially graduated from Oxford University in a virtual convocation.
Yousafzai, hailing from Swat, has been living in the UK since October 2012. She earlier secured a prestigious honorary fellowship from Oxford University’s Linacre College.
The education activist now hails among the list of renowned figures including Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, and the first Speaker of the National Assembly of the Parliament of South Africa Dr Frene Ginwala.
Malala Yousafzai becomes the first Pakistani to receive yet another prestigious int’l award
