2014 MSU Freshman Convocation
August 25, 2014
Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
Photo courtesy of the Malala Fund.
This is your opportunity to meet peers, connect with faculty and staff, and listen to the inspiring words of Shiza Shahid, the co-founder and CEO of the Malala Fund and right-hand woman to Malala, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was nearly killed by the Taliban for her desire to get an education.
How do you value your education?
In a few weeks, you will begin a journey at Montana State University that will transform you and launch your future. Everyone on such a journey, a college education, faces challenges. For some, the obstacles test the most extreme limits of determination and will.
Imagine that you were prevented “by law” from getting an education. What would you do?
Malala Yousafzai is from the town of Mingora in the Swat District of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an area where women and girls are barred from schools and universities. Risking her own safety, she stood up for her right and the right of other girls to receive an education. Last year, Malala survived an attempt to silence her voice and an attempt to take her life. She now lives in England with her family.
When Shiza Shahid, also a native of Pakistan and a graduate of Stanford University, heard about the assassination attempt on her friend, she rushed to Malala’s side. Shiza helped Malala’s family manage the media blitz and the growing global interest in Malala and her story. Malala, her family and Shahid came up with the idea to establish a fund in Malala’s name that would be used to educate girls and women. Known as Malala’s “right-hand woman,” Shiza Shahid has been named to both TIME and Forbes magazines’ “30 Under 30” lists, which recognize young adults already changing the world. She has also been profiled in Entrepreneur magazine.
What better way to begin your first day as a student MSU than spending an evening with Shiza Shahid as she discusses the transformative power of education and the valor shown by those who treasure its value.
Summer Reading
All incoming students will read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.
Free copies of the book will be distributed to the incoming class and used in first year seminars. Parents are invited to read and discuss the book with their student.
Master Class with Shiza Shahid
Prior to her lecture, Ms. Shahid will conduct a master class with MSU students. Students who are interested in attending the class are invited to apply online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Shahid14. Students must submit their applications by 5 pm on August 15th.
2014 Writer's Voice competition
Enter the Montana State University 2014 Writer's Voice competition! We invite Montana State University students (all campuses); Montana K-12 students; Montana community members at large to submit original short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry inspired by I am Malala. See this flyer (PDF) for submission guidelines or contact [email protected] for more information.
Convocation Guide
Are you looking for ways to frame discussion of I am Malala? Would you like to know more about Shiza Shahid? Find a discussion guide, recommended reading, and related articles, books, and interviews at the MSU Library's Convocation 2014 page.
- MSU News - CEO of Malala Fund to deliver 2014 MSU convocation lecture
- Bozeman Public Library, One Book One Bozeman
For more information, please contact:
Disabled students wishing to request an accommodation may contact 406-994-2824.
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