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There’s something unique about her name that gives Kamia Imani a huge amount of inspiration as she pursues her dream of becoming the next Miss California USA.
As she describes it, Imani means faith, and as the 2014 South Pasadena High school graduate points out, “It’s important to keep the faith alive when pursuing courageous and artistic endeavors.”
It’s with that mindset, Imani has high expectations in a life full of courageous and artistic endeavors, one of which has already been met – earning a spot in the state’s most prestigious pageants. Her full name is Kamia Imani Rodil Willis, however with an acting background, she will use her stage name – Kamia Imani – during the June 21-23 competition at the Hyatt Regency in Anaheim.
Along with a panel of judges, the public has a voice in making a selection among the 150 contestants headed into the competition by voting through a special People’s Choice link. Miss California USA organizers update the leadership board daily and, as of voting earlier this week, Imani finds herself in the top 10 of those entered. Live voting, one of the avenues to a successful bid – see links below – is currently underway and polls are open until June 22 at 2 p.m. PST.
“People’s Choice gives the audience a choice, and whomever gets the most votes automatically qualifies to move into the final top competition,” explained Imani.
Interviews addressing a contentant’s bio and current events, will also be conducted as each is judged on confidence, and how they can make a positive impact on society by having the crown, coupled with the traditonal swimsuit and evening gown competition.
“My goal is to win the crown,” she said enthusiastically, knowing a victory will put her in position to also becoming the next Miss USA, and maybe even Miss Universe if all goes well. “I cant wait! I am also a bit nervous but they are good nerves.”
Imani has never been one to back away from stiff competition. As a member of South Pasadena High’s track team, she set a new girls’ 400-meter school record of 56:59 in her freshman year. She was the 400-meter Rio Hondo League champion in 2011, 2012 and 2014. The gifted athlete also was a member of the Tigers’ 2012 CIF-Southern Section Divison 3 track an field championship team. In addition, a former team captain, Imani played an intregal part in helping SPHS set a school record of 3:49.17 in the 4 x 400-meter relay team that reached the CIF state finals in 2013.
Her athletic prowess began at a young age when Imani was a member of the Rose Bowl Aquatics Junior Olympic swim team, later competing in the sport at the high school level.
Among her greatest personal accomplishments was the day serveral years ago when she was inducted into the South Pasadena High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Gaining strength from her parents, Elvy Rodil and Tony Willis, she’s thankful as an only child they provided a solid upbringing, and were there every step of the way as she earned an academic-athletic scholarship to U.C. Berkeley, a M.S. degree from Columbia Journalism School in New York, watched as she became a private jet flight attendant in the days surrounding the COVID pandemic, and finally an actress, a major quest. She’s a recent graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.
Over the years when time allows, Imani, representing Anaheim Hills in the pageant, returns to South Pasadena High to share her story growing up, as a way to give back to a younger generation, mentoring those looking for advice, urging them to use their talents on and off the field, so they might have the same scholarship opportunities she was once afforded.
Calling herself a first generation college student, Imani, in her Miss California USA profile, wrote: “I wanted to go above and beyond and earn my Master’s degree from an Ivy League Institution while still keeping my passion of helping underrepresented voices become heard. While at UC Berkeley, I became a part of the Person of Color Recruitment and Retention Center where I hosted official visits for prospective students and tutored athletes from football players, to swimmers, to track and field athletes, and the tennis team.”
Further, as noted in her written statement to Miss California USA officials, she was also accepted into Management Leadership for Tomorrow, a non profit organization that accepts a few high performing students of color from schools all over the U.S. to develop and prepare them through mentorship and conferences for careers in corporate America. Her college years saw her secure an intership at Google on the MBA Recruiting Team and another stint as an intern working at a New Jersey news station before seeking her M.S. in journalism at Columbia University.
“After learning storytelling on the production side, I focused my M.S. Thesis on the NBA G League to tell the stories and feature NBA athletes who came from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing the grind of basketball to create a better life,” she wrote as part of her pageant bio. “I realized that I wanted my voice and impact to reach a larger scale and I decided to go for my passion of acting to do so in a more personalized approach. Although my mother, who was more conservative, wanted me to have a more financially stable career, I assured her that I have been wanting to do so since I was a little girl and I would work to save up and pay for my own tuition.”
In order to make it happen, next came the days in which she became a flight attendant before being accepted into New York’s distinguished Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater Conservatory two-year program.
Life, as she discovered along the way, often has its challenges, Imani fielding her share at a young age. “During my adulting stages, I naively fell in love and found a partner who was extremely charming initially and supported my acting dreams as he was an established doctor in an anesthesiologist residency program,” she wrote as part of the pageant application. “However, I soon learned he had another side and he became extremely abusive, verbally, emotionally, and physically as he sought to control me in every way.”
About a year ago, she became a survivor of domestic violence “which initially hindered my mental health to finish my theater program,” she continued. “Through that challenging hurdle, I’ve gained a stronger character and voice. Once it became physical, I immediately found support groups, left the situation and filed a protective order.”
Through her family, friends, college administrators, church, and a strong faith – oh, there’s Imani meaning faith popping up again – “I was able to overcome one of the most challenging situations I have ever dealt with in life, while working to be accepted into the second year of my theater program (as the second year was based on the performance and attendance of the first year),” she recalled. “I am proud to say I graduated this year. I became even more passionate about promoting women and using my artistic passion and platform to encourage them to pursue their dreams despite any setbacks – I believe it is not about where you have been, but where you are going. With a supportive community, I was able to successfully complete my studies.”
As a new graduate, she plans to use her story, platform as an actor and influencer “to help underrepresented voices become heard and empower women to claim their respect,” she further noted. “As a recent graduate from theater school, I’m incredibly passionate about using my voice to make a difference. However, transitioning into the professional world of acting requires not only talent and dedication but also a platform where I can use my time and voice when not on set to positively spread awareness for initiatives I stand for. While my current focus is on representing California in the Miss USA pageant, my dream of pursuing acting remains steadfast and something I plan to continue doing after representing and giving back to my community and hopefully representing the state of California.”
In her spare time, Imani has volunteered for various causes, most notebly donating and reading books to poverty-stricken children of Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines. “I have also given back by working with the Partners Legal Team to share my story with domestic violence and the resources that supported me as I navigated to get out of that situation, start a new life, and empower their other clients going through a similar situation,” she said. “My personal experiences, from earning an academic-athletic scholarship to UC Berkeley to completing a M.S. degree at Columbia Journalism School, have been pivotal. Growing up as an only child with a strong work ethic instilled by my immigrant mother, I have always aimed to excel and give back. Being a first-generation college graduate, my involvement in mentoring and recruitment initiatives, and my experience overcoming domestic violence have all shaped my resilience, empathy, and determination. These experiences have fueled my passion for advocating for women and underrepresented communities.”
Ever since Imani was a little girl, she has been passionate about using her voice and energy to positively impact underrepresented communities and making a positive impact on others. “My lifelong dream has been to represent California on the Miss USA stage, and perhaps even Miss Universe,” she said. “With my diverse background as an African-American and Filipina, and the sacrifices of my parents, I have pursued my dreams relentlessly. My career ambition is not only to succeed in the media industry as an actress but also to use my platform to uplift and empower marginalized voices.”
Key links to show Kamia Imani support:
Here is the link to vote.
More on her bio, mission and how to contribute:
