Beauty pageant queens may appear to just be a pretty face who master elegance, beauty, and talent, but there is more beneath the surface. Meet Shalom Omo-Osagie, a Nigerian- American woman who is currently on the road to Miss California, in which she will be representing Los Angeles County in Fresno from June 14 to June 20.
“I’m just excited to see how the week goes. I hear so much about the excitement, the anxiety, and all those things, but I truly embrace that as a theater kid—I ‘live for’ backstage. I’m excited to see it all unfold, to support my fellow sisters, and to see everyone perform and put their best foot forward.”
An Academic advisor, actress, model, and coach, Omo-Osagie is really looking forward to the pageant, as she recently won Miss Los Angeles County in February—a transition from the Miss USA system to the Miss America system—a monumental moment after living in Los Angeles for over a year. In 2025, she competed for Miss California in Miss USA, in which she did not win, but she did not let that deter her.
For Miss L.A. County, she shifted from intense physical prep (as she did for Miss California USA) to a spiritually grounded approach—prayer, gratitude journaling, and protecting her peace. “When I was preparing for Miss L.A. County, I didn’t necessarily do the same level of prep that I did when I did my first pageant last year, which was Miss California USA. I think [at that time] because it was my first one, I put a lot of extra energy into the process.
She further added, “But this go-around with Miss L.A. County, I was very adamant about keeping my peace and staying ground-ed. So my prep was a little bit more on the spiritual side. I really just wanted to show up as myself and see if the judges liked that.”
She reflects on her victorious moment of winning Miss L.A. County. “When they called my name, I think I jumped. I immediately went into gratitude and just kept saying, ‘Thank you, Lord.’ Everything I did to prepare for that moment felt right, felt aligned—like it was supposed to happen.” A friend was with her, holding her hand as they both were Shalom grew up in Baltimore, Md., in a Nigerian American household that anchored her in two worlds at once. Her father, born and raised in Nigeria, came to the U.S. for college and met her mother, a Baltimore native whose family is rooted in West Baltimore. Early on, Shalom lived in East Baltimore, which she de-scribes as “a little bit rougher,” before her family moved to Baltimore County.
For elementary and middle school, she attended Kingdom Academy, later renamed Light Source Academy, then transitioned into the public school system for high school at Patapsco High Center for the Arts, a perform-ing arts magnet. There, she majored in theater, building on a love that began at age ten when she performed in her first musical, “Annie.”
“I feel that I had the opportunity to kind of see both sides of the Baltimore experience. That’s why I’m able to speak to both sides and show that there’s more to Baltimore than just the stereotype most people see,” she said.
Omo-Osagie went to Bowie State University, a prominent HBCU in Maryland, for her under-graduate degree in theater, with a concentration in acting and directing. For graduate school, she is currently at USC, pursuing her master’s in postsecondary administration and student affairs.
She moved to Los Angeles a year and half ago. Omo-Osagie did not have plans of participating in the beauty pageant system and was introduced to it by her roommate, former Miss Supernational Nigeria, Sectra Okundaye, who mentors her.
“Shalom could literally talk to a brick wall—she can talk to anyone and get a conversation started. She’s talented in the arts and theater, and they’re very big on having that talent portion and community service.” She continued, “She is really what a pageant girl is. It’s more than just beauty; it’s really about who you are on the inside, what skills you have, and how you treat people. Shalom already had everything that it took—we just had to turn her from a princess to a queen.”
Antina Campbell is another beauty pageant coach and mentor to Omo-Osagie who has also played an instrumental role in helping her develop her tribe in Los Angeles. She reflects on Omo-Osagie’s stage presence when she won Miss L.A. County.
“She’s a beautiful, tall, dark-skinned girl. Her presence, her presentation, how she presented herself… When you’re in these types of rooms, you want to command attention… and she does that. She just owned that stage. She wore her confidence well, and her pride as a Black woman was extremely important to see.”
Omo-Osagie also has a college prepared-ness initiative, “Access Granted,” which focuses on empowering young people from underserved communities. She wants to change the language and narrative around who belongs at prestigious universities and help young people see USC-level schools as possible, not a miracle.
This also motivated her to create a social media series on Instagram/TikTok called “Dear Future Grad,” in which she gives advice to young people to help them understand the ins and outs of college life, such as the transition from high school to college and the application process.
A friend of Omo-Osagie, Taylor Walton, spoke about the importance of the work that she does and how it is impactful.
“With her Access Granted community service initiative and preparing for Miss California, when Shalom says she’s going to do something, she not only does it, she puts her absolute all into it. I think she’s the perfect person to help those students level up in their lives,” said Walton.
Omo-Osagie has huge dreams of becoming an Oscar Award-winning actress and would like to eventually fully focus on acting and theater, as it is one of her biggest career aspirations, which she will get to tap into during the talent portion of her upcoming pageant performance because she still has the “theatre kid” in her. She is also accepting sponsorships and collaborations with local businesses.
“As Miss Los Angeles County, I will compete at the Miss California competition. I am currently partnering with local businesses and brands to support my journey
through program book ad sponsorships and collaborative partnerships that highlight community leadership, empowerment, and style,” she said.
Here’s what sponsorship could look like: $ 550 – Full-Page Ad Page (for your business)
$350 – Half-Page Ad Page, Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup, Vocal Coaching. To follow her journey and connect follow her instagram via the handle @misslossangelescounty or email bookings.shalom@gmail.com.
