`I LOVE getting prizes,` said Malala, in an interview with Dawn earlier this week. Then she clarified: `I mean school prizes, for best student and such.` And so, despite the disappointment that so many Pakistanis must be feeling right now, Malala herself may not be heartbroken over missing out on the Nobel prize. For all the acclaim she has received, for all the hate and derision thatshe has been subjected to,she still remains a young girl albeit one who has gone through more at the age of 16 than many do by 60.

What we need to remember is that she has her whole life ahead of her, and a self-declared mission to accomplish: to fight in the name of education. That mission cannot and must not be conditional on the award of yet another prize, no matter how prestigious or, as some would argue, controversial.

It`s not a time for sour grapes either.

The Nobel committee has, in its wisdom, awarded the prize to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and this is entirely their discretion. It does no good topoint out that the award has become increasingly politicised in recent years, perhaps more so than it has ever been.

Had she won, she would have ranked as Pakistan`s second Nobel laureate, after the legendary Dr Abdus Salam and here is one of the serendipitous things that came out of her nomination: the electronic media was forced to acknowledge that great man`s exis-tence and award him, albeit belatedly, the recognition he deserved.

The last few weeks have been a flurry of interviews, awards and public appearances for Malala, and while they may not have been unwelcome, they must certainly have been exhausting.

There is also the question as to how much she herself felt she deserved them. In conversation, she comes across as a humble young lady who, though conscious of the spotlight that she is under and willing to make the needed sacrifices, also justwants to get on with her life and her own education.

That won`t be easy, given that the media`s glare is not likely to dim any time soon, but it`s the best way for her to actualise her mission. She must, in her own words, first arm herself with the weapons that she wants in the hands of all children the world over: the weapons of knowledge.

What she will have to be wary of, however, is being sucked too deep into the publicity machine that has been created around her. After all, the only thing the global media loves more than building someone up is tearing them down. The foundation that has been created in her name must also be carefully monitored, as any failing no matter how inadvertent or accidental will reflect on her person. Public prominence has its downside, as any celebrity will testify. Perhaps the very fact of not winning the Nobel prize, which would have possibly been a great burdenfor such young shoulders, will in fact free her to do what she does best: inspire.