summer 2019
C WITHIN MAGAZINE
Amal Wilemon - Reaching Potential By Helping Others Reach Theirs
BY: KATHY SPAN
A
Kenya. Amal’s and Zane’s families all get along, even the extended family who live on opposite sides of the planet and are from completely different backgrounds. This is a blended family that makes Modern Family seem antiquated. Why? Because Amal is a force that will not be denied, and together with her beloved, they are unstoppable.
mal Safdar Wilemon is a modern, beautiful, firebrand of a woman. Born of first-generation Pakistani immigrants who met for the first time on their arranged wedding night and are still very much in love today. To say that Amal was from a “traditional” Muslim family would be an understatement. Amal is also a Texan, born and raised in Arlington, educated at the University of Texas, and now living in Austin. Oh, and she is married to an Episcopal Priest who, with Amal’s collaboration, operates the amazing nonprofit Ubuntu Life, serving women and children in
I r eal i zed th e p o w er o f p eop l e; t h e p o w er o f w o m en h av i ng eac h o th er ’s b ac k . Before meeting her husband Zane, Amal lived in New York City. After college, she’d worked her way into the New York fashion scene and soon was producing big-time runway shows. She describes this as, “Very high-intensity, very high-fashion, very fun-20’s life.” But it began to feel like something was missing: I woke up and I was 31 and realized I so much wanted more. I loved what I did and I was really good at it. But I just felt empty. I wanted a purpose; I wanted a sense of community. I wanted a slower-paced life. So I came back to Austin wanting that sense of community, knowing that eventually I wanted to meet someone and settle down. I wasn’t making any of those things priority in New York; it was just work work work, go go go.
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