Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai had her last day of school on Friday, and she took advantage of the milestone to do something many of us succumbed to years ago — to join Twitter.
That said, there is no chance the 19-year-old Pakistani teen will be using the platform to retweet memes and sarcastic jokes. No, as U.N. Messenger for Peace, a survivor of a brutal assassination attempt by the Taliban in 2012, and an international figure for girls’ education, this inspiring woman will be doing so much more than that.
“Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me,” she tweeted, “I’m excited about my future, but I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education.”
She then told Twitter about her upcoming mission, explaining that “next week, I will be back on my #GirlPowerTrip to meet girls in Middle East, Africa & Latin America. Each girl’s story is unique—and girls’ voices are our most powerful weapons in the fight for education and equality. On and off Twitter, I’m fighting for girls—will you join me?”
Today is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter [THREAD]
— Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017
Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me. I'm excited about my future, but… 2/
— Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017
….I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education. 3/
— Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017
She sent her first tweet on Friday, and she has already amassed 600,000 followers and received an outpouring of support from world leaders and celebrities alike: everyone from Mindy Kaling to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is welcoming her to the platform and encouraging her to continue using her voice for good.
Your bravery and commitment to education – both yours & others – is inspiring. Congratulations on graduating high school @Malala!
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 7, 2017
Hi my little cousin. Welcome to Twitter! Glad to see your prioritizing your school work. ❤️💕❤️💕 https://t.co/Bq0mfDJyGv
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) July 8, 2017
You are incredible!!!!!! @Malala you inspire me so much. Keep it up, you are total GIRL POWER. Thank you for all you do.
— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) July 8, 2017
So happy @Malala is on Twitter. I hope I can meet you soon and help you spread your voice. @jack @john @MalalaFund
— Lele Pons (@lelepons) July 7, 2017
Yes, @Malala – Absolutely. Count me in. And welcome to Twitter. https://t.co/P5fHtCpjIh
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) July 7, 2017
Hola, Presidente! I admire your work to bring peace in Colombia. Your country has some amazing girls too! They send me beautiful messages. 💌 https://t.co/vz6hkaDk29
— Malala (@Malala) July 9, 2017
Hello @Malala !!! Welcome!!! If you want to be inspired, this is who to follow! See the amazing things she’s doing on her #GirlPowerTrip! https://t.co/CqKhL9GNCQ
— John Krasinski (@johnkrasinski) July 8, 2017
“Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome,” she tweeted after responding to many replies directly, “I’m still reading all your replies and it may take awhile. Glad I joined AFTER exams!”
We can’t wait to see how this bold, resilient, passionate young woman will continue to change the world.
