For the last four years, Halima Aden has been taking the modeling world by storm. Not only is she young, beautiful, and talented, but her dedication to her faith has made her career very groundbreaking. As a devout Muslim, Halima proudly wears her hijab and has made it a non negotiable part of all of her contracts. Recently, however, Halima has decided to step back from the modeling world. In November 2020, Halima announced that she would be quitting modeling due to conflicts between her career and her religious views. Although her decision may not be permanent, she has made it very clear that she won’t be hitting any runways for the foreseeable future. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Halima Aden.
1. She Was Born In Kenya
Halima has lived a very interesting life – even before she started her career as a model. She was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, however, her roots are in Somalia. Halima’s mother fled Somalia in 1994 during the country’s civil war. Halima relocated to the United States with her family when she was 6-years-old.
2. She Used To Work As A Housekeeper
Halima’s life may be full of glitz and glamour now, but that certainly wasn’t always the case. She told Nairobi News, “I did housekeeping for two years. For me I wanted to get my foot to hospital one way or another, so I applied for housekeeping and did it for two years. Actually it’s funny because I was in housekeeping and doing modeling at the same time. The first six months of being a model I also kept my job for job security reasons.”
3. She Is Passionate About Giving Back To Others
Becoming a model has made Halima famous all over the world, and she isn’t taking her platform for granted. She is passionate about raising awareness to the causes she believes in and she also loves giving back to her community. In 2018, she became an ambassador for UNICEF and she has worked to stand up for the rights of migrant children.
4. She Studied At St. Cloud University
During the early days of her modeling career, Halima was a typical college student. She attended St. Cloud State University where she was heavily involved on campus. In 2016, she was a senator for the school’s student government. It’s unclear whether or not she earned her degree.
5. Her Goal Is To Win The Miss Universe Pageant
Even though Halima is done with modeling (for now), she still hopes to have success in the pageant scene. Her goal is to not only become the first Somali woman to compete in Miss Universe, but she also wants to win the pageant. Although she knows it won’t be easy, she’s ready and willing to do the work.
6. She Loves To Travel
Halima may have come from humble beginnings, but she has gone on to carve a very successful path for herself that includes getting the chance to travel the world. Thanks to her career she has been able to visit lots of places including Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
7. She Produced A Film
In addition to modeling, Halima has also gotten involved in the entertainment industry. In 2019, she was the executive producer of a film called I Am You. Halima told What to Wear. “The film was directed by a refugee and woman, Sonia Nassery Cole. We share a lot in common. When she told me about the project, I was hooked.”
8. She Is Proud To Provide Representation For Other Young Muslims
Halima’s career has been full of a lot of firsts. She was the first person to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota pageant and the first person to wear a hijab on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. She takes pride in being able to be an example for other young Muslim women who may be used to seeing people who look like them in the fashion/modeling world.
9. She Speaks 3 Languages
Halima may be beautiful, but her looks certainly aren’t the only thing she has to offer. She is also serious about her education and she speaks three languages: English, Swahili, and Somali. She initially struggled to learn English after moving to the United States, but found a supportive community when moving to Minnesota.
10. She Was Homecoming Queen In High School
Even before starting her career as a model, Halima was already a trail blazer. In high school, she was voted homecoming queen which made her the first Muslim student in the school’s history to win the title. During an interview with Allure, Halima said, “…even though that’s not really a big deal in the grand scheme, it turned into a moment that brought the community together. I think for a long time, Muslim students just assumed, OK, homecoming is not meant for me, because I’m Muslim. And non-Muslim students assumed Muslims weren’t interested. So when I was nominated—and no Muslim student ever had been—I was like, ‘OK, oh my God. OK!’ Who would have thought homecoming could mean so much to people?”
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