Kimberly Clarice Aiken Cockerham was only 18 years old when she won the coveted title of Miss America in 1994, being the fifth African American to do so and the youngest to do so since Tawny Godwin won Miss America at the age of 18 in 1976. Kimberly was also the first black woman from the South to win the crown, but only the second to climb to the position of pageant judge.
Unlike other females who planned for the crown, her path to the top was unplanned. Kimberly once watched the pageant on campus television and immediately thought of competing in it someday. She then won on her first attempt, which explains her low expectations when she faced the judges. According to black history, it was a simple objective of representing her home region and becoming Miss Colombia, South Carolina, which she won in 1993. Following her great achievement, People Magazine named her one of the “Fifty Most Gorgeous Persons in the World” in 1994.
When she won the crown, she focused her activism on the plight of the homeless, collaborating with groups such as Habitat for Humanity to create several shelters for the destitute throughout states. She later enlisted the help of other organizations to bring attention to the plight of the homeless in the United States. Her unselfish effort sparked a national discussion on homelessness and provided new insight into the plight of the homeless.
Kimberly Aiken, born on October 11, 1974, in Columbia, South Carolina, had to bravely undergo brain surgery at the tender age of 11 to repair a rare birth condition that could have a negative impact on her future if left unchecked. Her parents maintained the family business, “Health Force,” which provided nurses to nursing homes, while her grandfather ran a convalescent home and catering service.
When her time as Miss America ended, she took on other responsibilities, including television appearances and ad campaigns, and used her popularity and oratory talents to inspire others. According to Pageant Planet, she is a known vocalist who has used her voice to her advantage in several television appearances.
Kimberly’s life was not solely focused on her celebrity; she also invested in her education. After graduating from New York University, she worked for Ernst & Young LLP, one of America’s largest accounting firms. She is currently an image consultant, working with models to prepare them for pageant interviews, and a frequent columnist for pageantry magazine. This has been perfected over a decade of entertaining and motivating her audience with personal anecdotes. She has two children with her husband, Haven Cockerham.