Insight into the MSU Convocation Committee’s selection for 2014
by Isaac Lorton
It’s not easy for someone to inspire nearly 3,000 first-year college students. It’s not easy to speak at the MSU Fieldhouse in front of 7,250 people. But, it was easy for the Montana State Convocation Committee to choose this year’s speaker, Shiza Shahid. Shahid, a 24-year-old Stanford graduate and education activist, embodies everything the Convocation Committee desires.
For example, committee chair David Singel explains, “The combination of valor to [defend education] and… someone the same age as the students was really exciting to us.”
During her studies at Stanford, Shahid, a native of Islamabad, began to closely follow Malala Yousafzai. She lived in Mingora, just north of where Shahid grew up. Malala spoke out for formal education of women as many female institutions were destroyed and girls barred from schools. Malala blogged about the oppression under a pseudonym for BBC News and publicly defied the Taliban by protesting the bombings of female schools and the murders of their students.
While on break from Stanford, Shahid arranged a young womens’ conference for 30 girls, including Malala. The covert meeting was to discuss the continued promotion of female education; as a result, the two young women became close friends and remained in contact after the conference ended.
Before they became international activists, they were friends
In 2012, Malala’s school bus was stopped by a Taliban member who asked for Malala by name then shot her in the head. She was flown to England for extensive treatment, where Shahid rushed to her support. Despite her injuries, Malala survived and remained committed to spreading her message of education for all. Shahid immediately began managing the media frenzy while Malala recovered, becoming the co-founder and CEO of the Malala Fund, an international organization that promotes female education. Since then, Shahid has been named on TIME and Forbes magazines’ “30-under-30″ lists, as a young adult making an international impact.
The story of Malala and Shahid will make students and community members think about how important education is and the opportunities MSU students have—and why they shouldn’t take them for granted.
Shiza Shahid will speak on August 25 at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
“We want [the message to be], ‘Let’s think seriously about education. Let’s think about what you want to be doing here for the next four years,’” Singel said. “We want the students to understand all of the opportunities available to them. [The convocation] will sharpen the focus and deepen the appreciation for education.”
The committee also invited local nonprofit organizations to attend the event to promote MSU students becoming involved in the Bozeman community.
“This is a community event,” Singel said. “It is an event, where we as a university, and as the Bozeman community, are welcoming the students to Bozeman and to MSU.”
The Malala Fund advocates female education and empowerment
Shahid demonstrates the world’s diminishing cultural boundaries as she, a Pakistani female, is the CEO of an international nonprofit.
As Malala said, “Education is neither eastern nor western. Education is education and it’s the right of every human being.”
The 2014 freshman convocation is a public event and everyone is welcome. It will be held on August 25 at 7:30 pm. For ticket information visit montana.edu/convocation.