Kimberly Clarice Aiken

Kimberly Aiken
Kimberly Aiken
Born	Kimberly Clarice Aiken; October 11, 1974 (age 50); Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater	New York University
Occupation(s)	Image consultant and motivational speaker
Title	Miss Columbia 1993; Miss South Carolina 1993; Miss America 1994
Predecessor	Leanza Cornett
Successor	Heather Whitestone
Spouse	Haven Cockerham (m. 1998)
Children	2

Kimberly Clarice Aiken Cockerham (born October 11, 1974) is an American image consultant, motivational speaker and was Miss America 1994.^[1]

Pageantry

Miss South Carolina 1993

She won Miss Columbia and Miss South Carolina 1993 en route to her 1994 Miss America crown. She was the first African American woman to be crowned Miss South Carolina.^[2]

Miss America 1994

Although she did not win any preliminary awards , she was still selected as a top 10 finalist and excelled during the live pageant with a stirring vocal rendition of "Summertime" for her talent, and impressive showings in the swimsuit, evening gown, and interview competitions. Aiken was 18 years old when she won the coveted title of Miss America, and was only the fifth woman of African descent to be crowned. Aiken's pageant coach was CB Mathis of CB's Limited in Lancaster, South Carolina.^[3] Aiken used the plight of the homeless as her platform.

Aiken has made numerous television appearances and was once recognized by People Magazine as one of the "Fifty Most Beautiful People in the World".^[2]

Education and career

She was initiated as a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority at Epsilon Tau Chapter. After graduating from New York University, Aiken pursued a career in public accounting with Ernst & Young LLP, one of the Big Four accounting firms. Today, she is an image consultant and motivational speaker. A professional speaker for nearly ten years, she entertains and inspires audiences with her programs, using her varied experiences and sharing stories of overcoming obstacles, such as brain surgery. She is also a regular columnist for Pageantry Magazine.

Personal life

She is the daughter of Valerie and Charles Aiken of Columbia, South Carolina.^{[citation needed]} She is founder for the HERO Foundation. She married Haven Cockerham in 1998 and has two children.^[4]^[5]

References

^ Miss America Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b "Kimberly Aiken captured Miss South Carolina, Miss America titles". The State. December 15, 2015.
^ "History of CB's Limited". Archived from the original on 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
^ "Ex-Miss America invites the public to her wedding". Deseret News. September 12, 1998. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
^ "Miss America 1994, triathlete, entrepreneur and mom". Ernst & Young. May 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2015.

External links

SC African-American History Online Archived 2008-03-21 at the Wayback Machine

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Leanza Cornett	Miss America 1994	Succeeded by Heather Whitestone
Preceded by Carrie Lee Davis	Miss South Carolina 1993	Succeeded by Tonya Helms