Mari Malek is a refugee turned runway model, DJ and actress. Malek was born in Wau, South Sudan during the Second Civil War. Her father was a diplomat and her mother a nurse. During the most violent times of the war, her mother moved her and her sisters to Egypt and they eventually ended up in Newark, New Jersey. At the age of 20, after attending college and becoming a single mom, she decided to try out modeling.

Malek is now a heavily sought after DJ who plays New York’s hottest clubs as DJ Stiletto. She describes herself as “the first nationally and internationally known South Sudanese DJ.”

This year, she is starring in the Sundance film, The Nile Hilton Incident, and has a foundation advocating for quality education in South Sudan. Stand 4 Education focuses on providing access to education in South Sudan. Her foundation is visionary as it empowers girls by using education as their resource.

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