The University of Scranton undergraduate class of 2024 will soon get their diplomas.  

On May 19 they will hear from a speaker who knows the value of an education. Someone who knows how important and what a privilege it is to sit and learn in a classroom.  

Students will listen to commencement speaker Shabana Basij-Rasikh. Basij-Rasikh is the co-founder and president of the first school for Afghan girls.  

The School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA) is located in Rwanda. Basij-Rasikh began the project in 2008 while studying at Middlebury College, according to the SOLA website.  

Basij-Rasik decided to make her life’s mission about bringing quality education for girls in her homeland. Her motivation for SOLA is from her own experience as a young girl in Afghanistan, where the Taliban enforced a strict law that prohibited girls from attending school.  

Basij-Rasikh gave a TED Talk in 2012 called “Dare to Educate Afghan Girls.” The TED talk is about how she began fighting for girls’ education in Afghanistan.  

Basij-Rasikh said she was raised in a family where education was prioritized. Her mother was a teacher, and her father was the first person in his family to receive an education.  

“My family believes in me. I dream big, but my family dreams even bigger for me,” Basij-Rasikh said in the 2012 TED Talk.  

Basij-Rasikh said it is exciting to see her students at SOLA come into school with ambition.  

“When I see my students at school, and their parents who advocate for them, who encourage them, I see a promising future and lasting change,” Basij-Rasikh said in the TED Talk.

Seniors at the University of Scranton have positive opinions about the upcoming speaker.

Jace Nelson, senior criminal justice major said Malala Yousafzai spoke to his school district while he was in high school. He said he feels honored to be able to hear another inspiring speaker at his graduation.  

“I’m very lucky to have received such a great education. Hearing stories about the fight for education emphasizes just how important it is,” Nelson said.  

Maggie Hoerz, senior advertising major, said she is looking forward to hearing what Basij-Rasikh is going to speak about.  

“I think it's really empowering that we have not only have a woman as our commencement speaker but knowing that she has founded the first and only girls school in Afghanistan, and I can't wait to hear what she has to say,” Hoerz said.  

The following is a list of awards Basij-Rasikh has received, according to the SOLA official website:

• She received a Davis Peace Prize at Middlebury College.

2010

• She was selected as one of Glamour Magazine’s top 10 college women.

2011

• Basij-Rasikh graduated magna cum laude with a degree in international studies and women’s and gender studies.
• She received a master’s in public policy from Oxford University.  
• She received the Vermont Campus Compact Madeline Kunin Public Service Award for her leadership and her dedication for service to others.

2014

• CNN named Basij-Rasikh one of their International’s Women and one of National Geographics Emerging Explorers in 2014.

2016  

• Basij-Rasikh earned her honorary doctorate from the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London.

2018

• Basij-Rasikh was awarded one of Afghanistan's highest national honors the Malali Medal, for her work in striving for girls' education.

2019

• Basij-Rasikh earned her honorary doctorate from Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania.
• She was named in the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list under the social entrepreneurship sector.

2021

• The Washington Post named Basij-Rasikh a contributor to their Global Opinions Section.

2023

• The National Geographic Society awarded Basij-Rasikh the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year award.  

Basij-Rasikh will help send off the 2024 undergraduate class. Having an education is a privilege and Basij-Rasikh's work demonstrates the value of an education.  

As students at the University of Scranton step into the next chapter of their lives, they can forever look back and be grateful for the fact they were able to learn.  

The commencement ceremony will be at 11 a.m. May 19 at the Mohegan Sun Areana at the Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre. Congratulations to the class of 2024.

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