Today I had the pleasure of spending an evening with Somali Supermodel Halima Aden. If you haven’t heard of her already, I know you will find her story extremely inspiring!
Halima was born in a refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya, because her family was forced to to flee Somalia due to the civil war in the early 1990s. When she was 7 years old, her family migrated to the USA (Minnesota) where she found herself in a culture shock and couldn’t speak English… But that never stopped her from finding her voice!
Fast forward 11 years and not only did she become a semi-finalist at Miss Minnesota USA, but she was the FIRST PERSON in their 65 year history to wear a hijab and burkini on stage. It wasn’t intentional, it was just Halima staying true to herself and her beliefs — but it essentially got the attention of the world and now she has been on the cover of Vogue Magazine, Allure, highlighted in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition among dozens of others. She travels all over the world doing photoshoots, being a UNICEF ambassador and collaborating with brands that she loves. And the craziest part? She is only 22 years old!
The sky is the limit for Halima as she continues to be a leader and role model for people in her community, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!