Titi Aynaw went from running around barefoot to lacing up army boots to slipping on high-heels.
The 5-foot-9 inch Israeli was born in an Ethiopian small town that had no cars, no TV and no phones.
After she was orphaned at 9, she lived with her aunt for three years before moving to Israel with her grandparents. She joined the Israeli army at 18 and commanded 300 soldiers by the time she was 20.
Five months later she was crowned Miss Israel 2013.
Speaking to a crowd of about 60 at UF on Tuesday, Aynaw said she still doesn’t understand the stark contrasts of her life.
“It doesn’t make sense,” she said. “It doesn’t come together. It feels crazy.”
The 25-year-old told her unexpected life story in Turlington Hall, as part of an event hosted by This Is Israel, a UF student group, and the Jewish National Fund, which is an international organization that helps Jews.
Eyal Abadi, the treasurer and founder of This is Israel, said the organization hosted the event to share Aynaw’s story.
“We brought her to tell everyone on campus that in Israel dreams do come true,” the UF computer science freshman said.
Competing in a beauty contest was always on the back of Aynaw’s mind, she said.
When she left the military and went back to Ethiopia to see her mother’s grave, her best friend Noa Grafi, signed Aynaw up to audition for Miss Israel. After showing up wearing flat shoes, a T-shirt and no makeup, Aynaw was not sure she’d win.
“When I was in the army, I forgot to be a woman,” she said.
But she became the first Ethiopian to win the contest. She then traveled around the world modeling and met former President Barack Obama in 2013. She said she was one of the first black women on Israeli billboards.
Aynaw then started a foundation to help kids in her Israeli hometown, named Project Titi. She now helps 66 kids by keeping them busy after school with classes that include jewelry making, basketball and math so they stay out of trouble.
“I became a role model for my community kids,” she said.
Jonah Stein, a UF biochemistry senior, attended Aynaw’s speech and said he admired her mission to relieve poverty there.
“Where she came from and where she’s going is very inspiring,” Stein said.
Contact Jimena Tavel at jtavel@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @taveljimena
Titi Aynaw
