What are the keys to success? The answer to this question is different for each of us. But knowing what you want and working hard to get it remains a fundamental factor. Winston Churchill rightly stated that “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue, that counts”. Malala Yousafzai, a 17-year-old student and education activist from Pakistan's Swat Valley, embodies this statement. The youngest nobleman nominated for the Peace Prize became famous for her defiance against the tyrants who sought to deprive her and her classmates of the right to education. Factors contributing to Malala's rise to prominence and subsequent success are the support of her family, particularly her father, her intellectual abilities, and her ability to overcome adversity. Malala's staunchest supporter is her father and friend Zaiuddin Yousafzai. She raised Malala as a progressive and a free thinker. He encouraged and inspired her to speak out when she was deprived of her basic human rights. Mr. Yousafzai led by example as he too is a supporter of girls' education. Malala watched her father speak undaunted in the reign of terror that gripped the Swat Valley. Her father went against taboos and traditions by raising his daughter and instilling strength and confidence in her. Zaiuddin Yousafzai said: "People ask me what is special about my mentorship that made Malala so bold and courageous, outspoken and composed. I tell them, 'Don't ask me what I did. Ask me what I didn't do. I did '". don't clip its wings, and that's it. Her mother is also an avid supporter of her campaign for education and encourages her to keep going. (Amanpour, 2013) Although Malala was only el...... middle of paper ...... fighting for the rights of girls in the developing world. In recognition of her work campaigning for girls' education, she was awarded the Sakharov Prize ("Sakharov Prize Winner", 2013) and the Simone de Beauvoir Prize (Embassy of France in Islamabad, 2013). .When Malala Yousafzai speaks, the world listens. He could not have reached such a position without his father's encouragement, his extraordinary intelligence, and his ability to overcome obstacles as the best version of yourself (Wood, 34). Malala Yousafzai is the product of extreme circumstances, but it is her choice to speak out when others were silent that has made her who she is today that inspires me. She is truly a beacon of hope for our generation.