Nelson Mandela was the first democratically elected president in South Africa, a position he fought long and hard for as an anti-apartheid activist, political leader, and community builder. He was jailed in 1962 and incarcerated for 27 years before being released in 1990 by President F. W. de Klerk. Mandela didn’t let his time in prison hold him back; he continued to fight and raise international awareness of the political conditions in South Africa. Towards the end of his sentence, Mandela even managed to complete a Bachelor’s in Law from the University of London’s External Degree Program, graduating in 1989. Mandela died on 5 December 2013. He continues to be a symbol of peace and racial equality around the world.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.