America ’ s Next Top
ROLE MODEL
By Dr . Shellie Hipsky
You may have seen model Farah Zulaikha ’ s face in VOGUE , Elle , or Seventeen , but the breadth of her interests extend beyond fashion . She is a humanitarian , writer , television host , and biomedical researcher , as well as a philanthropist . Zulaikha participates in charity opportunities globally , not only acting as ambassador to multiple charitable organizations , but also helping with her family ’ s self-funded medical camps . Giving runs in her family . Dr . Shellie spoke with Zulaikha about how her heritage and her experience as a New Yorker and a domestic violence shelter volunteer shaped who she is today .
Dr . Shellie : Farah , you are a lovely young woman , a model , and many people probably don ’ t know this , but as a 14-year-old , you worked in a domestic violence shelter in New York City . You connected with the victims and comforted them . You saw first-hand what this can do to a family , and we both know that it happens to more people than we would like to think in our modern society . Why do you think people don ’ t want to talk about domestic violence ?
Zulaikha : That was an amazing experience , being able to help those people . And you ’ re right . People don ’ t want to talk about it . If you talk about any other cause , really , about children and hunger , about cancer , someone will stand up and say “ I have been there , and I survived .”
Dr . Shellie : Right . It ’ s the same thing with the homeless population that I ’ ve worked with . I ’ ve worked with the Homeless Children ’ s Education Fund for ten years , and that ’ s what we always say . It ’ s like there ’ s not somebody who can just stand up and say , “ I was homeless ,” because of the stigma attached .
Zulaikha : It ’ s so true .
Dr . Shellie : And the same with domestic violence . Absolutely .
Zulaikha : Right . It ’ s this idea that it ’ s the undesirables in the society .
Dr . Shellie : Yes .
Zulaikha : People also think that a certain type of person becomes abused or homeless . And that ’ s not true . There are women who are and men also . Victims of domestic violence come from all socioeconomic levels . It ’ s not just the poor —
Dr . Shellie : Yes . Zulaikha : — or junkies . People who have doctorates end up homeless .
Dr . Shellie : Yes .
Zulaikha : And highly educated people also become victims of domestic violence . One of the women in the shelter I was working in was a doctor . She drove a Mercedes . She drove an S class at that , but it didn ’ t mean anything . She needed help . She and her husband were respected people … I don ’ t want to call them “ offenders ”— I don ’ t believe that anybody is a bad person .
Dr . Shellie : Right . Zulaikha : I just feel like people who are hurting hurt other people .
Dr . Shellie : Yes . Zulaikha : She would get so upset and say , “ I can ’ t believe this happened . I must have never been loved in my life . This was the only man I ever knew .” So I told her , “ I don ’ t think that he didn ’ t love you . I think that
WINTER 2017 INSPIRING LIVES 79