At the young age of twenty-two, our alumna Fatima Zahra El Maliani has already received an IB diploma, a bachelor’s degree in law and she is currently taking a Master’s degree course in Security and International Studies. As of today – 31 March 2023 – she is also a Knight of the Italian Republic, appointed by President Sergio Mattarella himself. Fatima has received this prestigious honour for having initiated an after-school programme in collaboration with UNICEF that has helped many children of immigrants make progress in their education.
Fatima grew up in Turin and identifies as “an Italian born in Morocco to a Moroccan family” even though she is sadly not legally entitled to an Italian nationality. In a recent speech at the Opening Ceremony of the 40th academic year of our College, she shared with us a reflection on how this statement about her identity has always been controversial and how powerless she has often felt when faced with strong adverse opinions. Feeling powerless is something one would not normally expect from such an enterprising person. Even from her start of UWC Adriatic she was known as a real changemaker, and she credits her UWC education with playing an important role in her development:
For Fatima, this educational approach has made a huge difference in terms of making her feel empowered and capable of becoming the kind of person she truly wanted to be.
The project for which she has been honoured is a response to a very tangible need of immigrant parents who did not speak Italian and therefore needed someone to help their children with their homework. Remembering her own childhood, Fatima was determined to help.
Grateful of the help she has received in the past, including her full UWC Adriatic Scholarship from Compagnia di San Paolo, Fatima is aware of the importance of giving back to ensure others have more opportunities in the future.
Fatima’s desire to help children living in disadvantaged conditions was kindled during her College years, especially by her Project Week experience. The project she and her friends worked on took them to the Romanian city of Baia Mare, which has the second largest number of homeless minors in the country. As soon as she arrived, she met a nine-year-old boy who was addicted to glue. “I had never seen a child like that and I will never forget that moment”. This was a turning point for Fatima, and marked the time when she began dedicating herself to making changes in the world.
Continuing on her path, Fatima has many plans for the future. She is now taking a Master’s degree in Security and International Studies at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, in partnership with the University of Trento. Through these studies she is confident she is gaining the right skills and knowledge that support her in taking action where it is needed. On this special day for Fatima, here at the College, we celebrate her successes and will continue championing her future impact.
