Kimi Li (C ‘25) is not your typical pre–dental student. While she spends her days at Penn immersed in her academics, volunteer work, and research, she makes sure to fill her free moments embarking on exciting side quests. She’s rapped on stage as a prelude act for Hamilton in front of a live audience, competed for the chance to win a $2 million private island on a MrBeast reality YouTube video, and even launched her own shoe–painting small business. “I hate when life gets boring, so I love saying 'yes' to opportunities that make it just a little more exciting,” Kimi says.
Kimi’s passion for captivating audiences and expressing herself both on stage and YouTube caught many by surprise, including herself. In high school, Kimi struggled with public speaking, often feeling so nervous during presentations that her hands would shake and her voice would start cracking. So, how did Kimi—a shy teenager with no theater experience—find her way onto a Broadway stage during her sophomore year?
For a Hamilton–inspired extra credit assignment in her history class, Kimi and her friends created an original rap piece about the Boston Tea Party titled “The Tea Spilled,” complete with an accompanying soundtrack. Impressed by their creativity, Kimi’s teacher submitted the rap to the education program associated with the Hamilton Broadway directors.
To their surprise, Kimi and her friends were notified that they had been selected to perform their rap on stage before a live Hamilton audience. “It was such a High School Musical moment,” Kimi says, reflecting on the experience as truly monumental. “It showed me that despite being that really quiet girl in high school, I really could do something like that and enjoy it.”
Flash forward to the summer after her first year at Penn, Kimi was woken up early one Saturday morning to what she initially thought was a scam call. “Is this Kimi Li? We saw that you are a subscriber of MrBeast. We would love to set up an interview for casting in a MrBeast YouTube video, where you would compete to win a private island.”
At the time, Kimi had no idea who MrBeast was. “I think I randomly hit 'subscribe' one time when my cousin sent me a YouTube video,” Kimi recalls. Still, she was intrigued by the opportunity. After a series of casting interviews, where the team asked personality questions like, “If you could have a superpower, what would it be?” Kimi soon found herself in the Bahamas on an all–expenses–paid trip, competing for the chance to win a $2 million private island. “And I made it pretty far,” she says.
It’s safe to say that this was a completely crazy experience. Kimi was among 99 other participants on a lavish trip to the Bahamas, competing in a series of challenges—ranging from making a fire using nothing but two rocks to a Squid Game–inspired “red light, green light” competition—for the upcoming video, “I Gave My 100,000,000th Subscriber An Island.” “I made it to the very last challenge. I lost on that one because I couldn't find the briefcase containing the contract to the private island. Obviously, I have to work on my briefcase–searching skills,” Kimi says, laughing.
Kimi attributes these unexpected experiences to her tendency to “say yes” to everything. “I feel like in most situations, it just ends up with me overloading in my clubs and my classes,” Kimi admits. “But in some cases, it actually ends up with me landing on YouTube or Broadway.” She eagerly embraces every side quest that comes her way, recognizing that, “being open to what you're uncomfortable with can actually turn out to be some of the most life–changing or life–orienting experiences,” Kimi says.
Keeping with this theme, this past summer, only a few weeks into her dental internship, Kimi was invited to be a part of an Amazon Prime series featuring a prize of several private islands. It was a very tough decision, but she ultimately thought, “When else am I going to be 21 and in an Amazon Prime series?” So, Kimi resigned from her internship and began filming the series, only to discover upon her return that the dental clinic was eager to have her back. “It was a win–win situation. Plus, you could be talking to a possible millionaire right now,” Kimi says.
Kimi’s ambitious and creative energy not only manifests in her thrilling side quests but also fuels her career aspirations. What draws Kimi to dentistry is the opportunity to blend her love for medicine and public health with her own artistic flair. “I really welcome other opportunities to help me explore and stay in touch with my creative side,” Kimi shares. During the COVID–19 pandemic, she began painting various designs on her shoes. What originally began as a side hustle evolved into a custom shoe–painting business that Kimi continues to pursue in her free time.
Along with providing care and giving back through dentistry, Kimi is deeply committed to volunteer work, aiming to advocate for herself and amplify the voices of other groups. Since her first year, Kimi has been actively involved in the First Generation, Low Income Dean’s Advisory Board, where she advocates for FGLI students across all four undergraduate schools.
As president of the group, Kimi leads initiatives to address the academic and social challenges faced by the FGLI community at Penn and facilitates transparent discussions between the College dean and other administrators. This past semester, the group published a holistic resource guide, aiming to ease the FGLI students' adjustment to Penn and provide valuable information on how to make the most of Penn’s resources and opportunities.
Reflecting on her array of experiences, Kimi notes that her passion for advocacy and being unapologetically herself has inspired her to seize every TV or YouTube opportunity that comes her way. She says, “These opportunities have allowed me to express my voice and passions on a larger stage.”
After graduation, Kimi plans to take a gap year and work as a dental assistant in a nonprofit clinic while applying to dental school. As she continues to embrace both her academic side and her adventurous side, we certainly won’t be surprised to see Kimi appear in a few reality competition shows along the way.
