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Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai
honors Sophia
with a surprise visit
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Girls Education is a Global Issue
In Rhode Island, Sophia Academy is changing the lives of m
iddle school girls from low income homes through an empowering education
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Malala Yousafzai (Center) with Sophia students and alumnae
Sophia founder Sr. Mary Reilly (left) and Head of School Gigi DiBello (right)
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For the world to honor the right of
every girl to go to school
this is my dream today & everyday.
- Malala Yousafzai
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Sophia Students Work to Fulfill Malala's Dream
This July we had an incredible opportunity to witness our students and alumnae in conversation with Nobel Laureate
Malala Yousafzai
and her father
Ziauddin Yousafzai,
when the Yousafzais honored Sophia Academy with a surprise visit a few hours before Malala's lecture at the Dunkin Donuts Center on July 28th.
Our time with Malala was incredibly powerful. Most of the adults in the room were moved to tears listening to our students and alumnae's thoughtful questions for Malala. It was humbling to observe our students and Malala's shared commitment to
reach true education equity. Everyone in the room could feel the wisdom the youth gathered that day at Sophia Academy.
Malala's care for our students' futures illustrated that they are a critical part of the
global movement to
empower girls to feel the strength of their own wisdom.
A special thank you to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and his staff for extending our invitation to visit Sophia Academy to the Yousafzais.
We are thankful to our community of supporters, especially the Frazier Family who donated 100 tickets for our students and adult community members to the evening lecture at the Dunkin Donut Center.
Thank you to our community of volunteers that ensured Malala's visit went smoothly and was kept a secret (to surprise our students and ensure her safety).
None of this would be possible without the generosity of our donors, who donate the majority the cost of a Sophia education. Thank you for providing access to a quality gender responsive education at Sophia Academy. Your investment in our students resulted in life changing meeting with Malala Yousafzai.
I invite you to join us in an ongoing conversation on the importance of education equity.
In the next year there will be many opportunities for you witness how
Sophia students are working towards creating true education equity for themselves and their sisters around the world.
Thank you.
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Hearing Malala speak at my alma mater was an incredible and unforgettable experience. She's my age and already embodies all of Sophia Academy's core values; courage, respect, responsibility, and peace. Sophia taught me these values, and then they taught my sister. Sharing this experience with her made it all the more remarkable. My sister has always been ambitious and determined but when I heard her say this: "
Malala gave me an overwhelming feeling like I can do something...I can make a change. I have a voice. We have a voice, and together, we're stronger," to a NBC 10 reporter, all I wanted to say was Thank You Malala, and Thank You Sophia Academy. We know we will succeed."
Merci Ujeneza, Class of 2011
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I met Malala today and there are so many words that describe her; compassionate, driven, courageous, inspirational, and so much more. Malala is not just an inspiration to me but an inspiration to young girls around the world.
Adrianna Robinson, Class of 2016
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Share Your #withMalala Moment
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Tag Sophia in Your Social Media Posts
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Donate By Mail:
Mail checks payable to SOPHIA ACADEMY
to 582 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI 02907
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A Surprise Four Years in the Making
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In 2012 Sophia Students Wrote Letters of Support to Malala
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| Gigi DiBello, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Jerryline Toetee and Tiffany Morales (Class of 2015), at Sophia Academy with letters of support for Malala Yousafzai |
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Malala Yousafzai was born in the Swat district of northwestern Pakistan. She began blogging for the BBC in 2009 at the age of 11 about her experiences living under the rule of the Taliban. I
n 2012 the Taliban attempted to assassinate Malala on her school bus. She survived but underwent several operations in the UK where she lives today. At the age of 17 she won the Nobel Peace Prize. Now at the age of 19 she is finishing high school in the UK and continues to advocate for girls education across the globe with the Malala Fund.
At Sophia, students were inspired by Malala's courage to go to school and speak out about girls education in defiance of the Taliban's ban on girls education. While Malala was
recovering from the Taliban's assassination attempt in 2012, Sophia students wrote her letters of support, connecting their own triumphs overcoming barriers to education
--including violence-in their community-
-to Malala's recovery. We asked Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's assistance delivering the letters to Malala. He came to Sophia personally to pick up the students' letters and commended them on their compassion and commitment to academic achievement.
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In 2016 Sophia Students Gathered for a Pre-Malala Pizza Party
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| Students added their suggestions for Malala's reading list |
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Since 2012, Malala's dream of global education equity, has continued to inspire Sophia students. Sophia is honored to have such a diverse student population, with many students from immigrant and refugee families. Malala's struggle to gain access to quality education is not unlike many of our families' stories. Malala is a true hero to our students and the adults in our community.
This summer, with a generous gift from the Frazier Family, of 100 tickets to Malala's evening lecture at the Dunkin Donuts Center, students, alumnae and adult members of our community, were eager to hear Malala's lecture. Despite the fact that it was during summer vacation, students and alumnae flocked to Sophia for a pre-lecture pizza party on July 28th which was an opportunity for Sophia to reconnect and learn together. Social Studies Faculty Claudia Traub and Assistant Head of School Meg Governo led students and alumnae in activities to prepare them for Malala's lecture. They shared their love of learning by writing down book suggestions for Malala. They also thought of the questions they would ask Malala if they ever got a chance to meet her.
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Unknown to most of Sophia, Malala contacted the school earlier in the week to accept our invitation to meet our students before her lecture. She arrived secretly at Sophia Academy with her father Ziauddin and a few honored guests.
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| Malala enters the Sophia event space to the delight of all |
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When the commotion died down after her surprise entrance, members of the class of 2017,
led the Sophia Creed to welcome Malala and
Ziauddin to Sophia.
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| Ziauddin and Malala Yousafzai greeting Dilana and Myyah (class of 2017) |
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Questions for Malala and her Father
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| Malala taking questions at Sophia Academy |
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Malala and Ziauddin were incredibly generous with there time and took many questions from the audience.
When asked by a student about how to remove barriers to education and create lasting positive social change, Malala replied:
The first thing that you have to do is believe in yourself...
Your voice really matters. Your voice is a part of this country. But it might not be as loud as it should be... Making a group can help make it louder.
A Sophia father talked with Ziauddin about how to support his own extraordinary daughter at Sophia. Ziauddin also talked directly to Sophia students:
Education is the only way to change your lives,
You can do anything in this world that men can do.
I have five sisters. None of them went to school.
[Malala] was the first ever girl in this family who was seriously educated.
Malala closed her remarks by saying:
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.
So thank you for giving me the hope that the world is going to be a better place.
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Sharing Pizza with Malala
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| Emma Ugizeneza taking a picture with Malala at our pizza party |
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Malala and Ziauddin then joined the pizza party. She took pictures with students and staff, and even took a pizza with her when she left for her lecture. Many students remarked that it was wonderful to see that Malala was just like them, a teenager who liked making new friends, eating pizza and was working to change the world.
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| Malala and Sophia Founder Sister Mary Reilly |
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Malala and Sophia Academy Founder Sister Mary Reilly found time to have a special moment. It was an honor to have these two powerful advocates for girls education meet at Sophia Academy.
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Local News Featured Sophia Students
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| Reporter Brian Crandall interviewing Jamie Chavez, class of 2016, for the Channel 10 News. |
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Radio, print, and television reporters covered Malala's visit to Sophia. Many of our student's and alumnae were interviewed about Malala's impact on their lives and what it was like to eat pizza with the world's youngest Nobel Laureate.
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WJAR 10 O'clock News:
T
here is a link on the page to the 6PM coverage, below the video player titled "More Media,"
which features interviews with Sophia students and alumnae.
Front Page on the Providence Journal:
Malala Yousafzai, shot by the Taliban in 2012, charms and inspires with surprise appearance at Sophia Academy and later with a talk at the Dunkin' Donuts Center
to an audience of 6,000
RI NPR:
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Malala Spoke of Sophia at The Dunk
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| 6,000 people gathered in Providence to hear Malala speak |
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Malala's visit at Sophia stayed with her. She opened her talk to thousands at the Dunkin Donuts Center by mentioning her time at Sophia. She connected her work advocating for girls across the globe to Sophia students.
The girls at Sophia Academy
were completely amazing...
I like to meet the girls I'm speaking for.
-Malala
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Courage, Responsibility, Respect, and Peace
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Gratitude to Our #MalalaAtSophia Team
f
or extending our invitation for Malala to visit Sophia Academy to the Malala Fund.
for all of your behind the scenes work to bring Malala and Ziauddin to Sophia.
Thank you to
Peter and Pernilla Frazier for generously donating tickets for our students, alumnae, parents, and staff to hear Malala speak at the Dunkin Donuts Center this July.
Thank you to our parent volunteers for facilitating the pizza party:
Yakira Campos, Agneris Garcia, Trinna Perry, and Olga Reynoso
Thank you to our community volunteers:
Greet Team:
Kath Connolly, Jenn Steinfeld, Joelle Worm
Audio Technician:
Hilary Jones
Photographer:
Bobbi Hunger
Drivers:
Missy Fournier and Diane Swire
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Chrissy Wolpert, Sophia Sings Instructor leading students at an in-school performance in January 2016. |
Foundation Support
We are grateful to the
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
for helping to fund two vibrant Arts Programs in the 2015- 2016 School Year. RISCA funds allowed us to partner with
Girls Rock! RI
to offer Sophia Sings, a 14 week choral program for our students this Spring.
RISCA also funded
She Tales of Real Yesterday:
a program promoting our students' creative voice with renowned storyteller
Val Tutson
and
Claudia Traub,
Sophia social studies faculty member. She Tales participants worked with Tutson and Traub to value their personal histories in relation to political issues by writing and performing narratives based on their own experiences.
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Sophia Academy
is a nonprofit, nondenominational, independent
middle school
designed to meet the unique needs of 5th - 8th grade girls
from low income homes in Providence, RI.
The majority of our
operating
budget comes from community support. Individual donors like you are the reason Sophia Academy students have access to an
extraordinary
and effective education.
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Donate By Mail:
Mail checks payable to SOPHIA ACADEMY
to 582 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI 02907
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East Side Market's Friendship Fund
The Friendship Fund at
Eastside Marketplace
will make a donation to Sophia Academy, equal to 1% of the total of collected Eastside Marketplace receipts.
Please s
ave your Eastside Marketplace receipts and mail them to: Diane M. Holden, Sophia Academy, 582 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI 02907.
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