Kamara Chima

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

Kamara Chima was heading home to Maryland for Thanksgiving when tragedy struck — a drive that should have brought her back to the people who loved her instead became the moment her family’s world changed forever.

The 21-year-old Claflin University senior was involved in a “tragic car accident” on Sunday, Nov. 23, friends of the family confirmed. 

She died from her injuries six days later, on Saturday, Nov. 29, bringing an end to a life that, by every account, was overflowing with promise, purpose, faith, and joy.

Her family described her loss as “unexpected,” and said it has devastated those closest to her — especially her parents and siblings — as they now face a future without the daughter and sister they expected to cheer across a graduation stage in just a few months.

Kamara was a Computer Science major at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, with plans to graduate in May 2026. 

She was a senior, an Honors College student, and a young woman whose energy “radiated everywhere she went,” according to a GoFundMe organized by Patriece Nelson Lee.

Her name, her family shared, carried significance before she ever walked onto campus. 

“Kamara’s name has several meanings, including ‘teacher’ and ‘wise one,’” Lee wrote. “During her 21 years on this earth, she embodied exactly that — she taught us to love, to give, to stay focused, and to have gratitude.” 

Her full first name, Chimkamara, “expresses confidence in God’s Power and Protection,” they said.

Kamara Chima

Kamara Chima

G

Claflin University publicly mourned her death as well, calling her loss a profound one for the entire campus community. 

In a statement, President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack wrote that Kamara “brought joy and inspiration to all who knew her and will be greatly missed,” encouraging students and faculty to keep her loved ones "in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Friends echoed that pain — not only at losing someone they cared about, but at losing someone whose kindness shaped their lives in small but lasting ways.

One classmate, Ethan Perkins, shared a tribute that captured the everyday ways Kamara made people feel less alone. 

“You were always so kind and hyped me up even when I didn’t feel well,” he wrote. “You gave me notes in class when I desperately needed them and even offered to be my partner when I didn’t have one."

"I’m very grateful to have had you in my life,” he continued, “Just know that you were a light in my life and you still continue to be. I love you, my friend. Rest easy, luv, till we meet again…”

Her family said they are raising funds to help cover ICU expenses, funeral home and interment costs, celebration-of-life services, and essential needs as they navigate a loss they never could have prepared for. 

They added that they are “grateful for every donation no matter the size,” and deeply appreciate “the prayers and outpouring of love we have received that give us light during this difficult time.”

Kamara Chima

Kamara Chima

GoFundMe

The GoFundMe set up for the family can be found here.

“As the family wrote, “While Kamara is no longer with us physically, the love we have for her, and the love she has for us endures forever.”