Binti
Novella 20,100 words Recommended by 6 award/anthology sources
Binti sneaks away from her home in a future Namibia so she can attend the galactic university. The Himba never leave home, so her parents disapprove, and the universe isn't quite ready for her either.
Quasar links out; the story lives on Tor Novella, where the author gets the click.