Malala Yousafzai is a hero. In every way and every sense of the word, she is a hero. But, as inspiring as she is, I really hope Malala doesn't win the Nobel peace prize this year.

Her story began long before she was shot by the Taliban. Growing up in India, I first heard about Malala's work in 2009 when she wrote a blog for the BBC. She was fighting for rights that I saw other people fighting for every day; admittedly, she did so in much more oppressive conditions, and I was filled with admiration. Amid patriarchy and terror, she's stood up and given voice to a cause that needs it.

I still am filled with admiration for her, but giving her the prize now would be a disservice to her and to the many struggles around the world that desperately need the attention Malala already has. The peace prize, in the most basic way, brings recognition and a spotlight.

Malala's story already has the fame and the platform it needs, not to mention financial support. The stories of goodwill from around the world during her hospitalization and recovery were heartening.

No matter what happens, the world knows her and is listening. She will have no trouble finding support of all kinds. It is a testament to the impact she has already had.

The Nobel Peace Prize is most effective when it highlights a lengthy struggle or the work of a person or group that have not got due recognition. Recall what happened when Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank won in 2006. That single award did more to legitimize microfinance on a world stage than anything else. It brought in funders and persuaded large banks to look at partnerships with Grameen and others to help move the project forward.

The Nobel is also a prize that has made mistakes. Giving the peace prize to President Obama and the European Union merely for efforts and hopes has tainted its authority and done little to help larger causes.

Let's not forget, the Nobel is a prize, and prizes should be handed out at the finish line. As Malala would be the first to admit, this is only the beginning of the race. While there is no denying that Malala has done and is doing spectacular work, her cause is far from won. By giving her an award for her dreams, we might in effect be killing them.

As a Nobel-winner, Malala would get lost in giving speeches and collecting further honors. By the time she would emerge at the end of her term as the new laureate, would the interest and attention in her original aspirations still burn as bright? One year after her shooting, with a book and major prize nominations, everyone cares. Four years from now, Malala will still be fighting for the cause, but who will listen then?

If Malala wins tomorrow, she'll be the youngest winner, a very special young woman. But her story is not over. If we give her now what is arguably the world's highest honor for peace, how will we laud the fight that she is so determined to win if and when she does?

I am a young woman from India who knows how hard education is for girls to get in many parts of the world. I also believe more than anything that women's education is what will take the Indian subcontinent forward. Because I also care so much about Malala's cause, I think it would harm it to honor her so soon.

And how sadly ironic it would be if, by making Malala the celebrity mouthpiece for women's education and putting her on every magazine cover and every TV show, we took away her own chance to go to school.