Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen advocate for education for girls, met with President Barack Obama and his family privately in the Oval Office on Friday. The 16-year-old, who survived an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen last year, was invited to the White House by the president, first lady Michelle Obama and their own teen daughter Malia "to thank her for her inspiring and passionate work on behalf of girls' education in Pakistan," the White House said. Malala had been a favorite to win the Nobel Peace Prize, but it was awarded Friday instead to a Dutch group that is working to destroy the Syrian chemical weapons arsenal. That news, however, didn't deter Malala's supporters, who said her accomplishments and mission were reward enough and didn't need a Nobel for validation.
