President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughter Malia meet with Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taliban a year ago, in the Oval Office.

Opening a school for Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon was a fitting Birthday celebration for Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

This is the amazing young girl who was shot by the Taliban while advocating education for girls in Pakistan. Incredibly brave, she did not let them silence her voice.

There are so many reasons to admire this young woman, and so many children’s lives will be changed by what she’s accomplished in her 18 short years. I am confident she will go on to make the rest of her life just as relevant.

But today, Malala, we’d just like to say “Thank You for being you!”