'All American: Homecoming' Final Season: Geffri Maya Reflects On Simone's Decision To Follow Her Gut

Fans are eager to know who will end up winning Simone’s heart when it’s all said and done as they prepare to say goodbye to All American: Homecoming.

With the third and final season underway, Simone (Geffri Maya) is set to graduate from Bringston University with endless opportunities ahead. From tennis to her sorority to her potential suitors, Simone won’t leave empty-handed, and neither will Maya, who debuted as the character in the parent series, All American, several years ago.

“I’m so proud of what we’ve done, what we’ve created, and the family that I’ve built, supporting such an amazing cast and crew, producers, writers, and everyone involved,” Maya told Blavity ahead of the Season 3 premiere. “My heart is full because when you show up 100%, give your all with good intentions, and keep culture, legacy and generation in mind, it’s like I did my job. We all did our jobs.”

“I’m in a full place, grateful for the experience and what the show means. I feel it was fulfilled,” Maya continued. “Whether it was three seasons or 13, it’s about the quality versus the quantity of time. I’m very grateful that the quality of the work reflects the heart and soul we put into it.”

While Simone represents many things, Maya said the character shows girls “they are worthy of options.”

“It’s funny to me because Simone has had more suitors than I’ve had in my entire life, so I live for it,” Maya shared. “I think girls should see that they are worthy of options. I love how invested people are in this storyline because it is fun, useful and real. Love, especially at that age and stage of life, is such an important experience and a determining factor in life. I love that people are into it.”

Maya added, without giving too much away, “I believe her choice was based on her gut. We all have intuition and moments in life we need to experience to get an answer. We can make a decision based on instinct and still be wrong. Or, you can take a chance and be more right than you’ve ever imagined. I’ll blame it on her gut and what she felt was right at that time.”

Maya’s character also resonates with women interested in tennis or who have never seen themselves in that space.

“I grew up as a dancer from a young age, and it takes time, dedication, sacrifice and money to commit to something like that. I can only imagine a sport like tennis is very expensive,” Maya recalled. “From racket strings, the racket itself, shoes, clothes, physical therapy, workouts to food, there’s a lot involved. I say this as an outsider looking in, not a professional athlete, especially not in tennis. I learned a lot about the sacrifices women, especially those I talked to, trained with, and experienced, go through just to be part of this world.”

For her, characters like Simone prove to those watching that it can be done.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Maya said. “But it is possible. We have Serena and Venus, Naomi, Coco, Sloane and many others. There are many female athletes in tennis who maybe didn’t have as much visibility, but it is possible. I’m grateful to be part of something that represents Black women, Black children, Black people, and the possible worlds and spaces.”

Looking ahead, Maya hopes to be part of projects that showcase magical and mystical places that may not exist but live in the minds of creative Black people like herself.

“We exist because we can make them, dream them,” she told us. “If we envision it, we can do it. I think it says a lot that we can do it because we did it, we made it. To be led by a Black woman and Black people shows it is very possible because it’s being done. It’s just a matter of doing more of it.”

With All American: Homecoming officially wrapped, Maya hopes the final season inspires viewers never to give up on themselves.

“At the end of the day, no one will believe in you more than you believe in yourself. That’s a principle I live by, despite the hardships of this business,” she concluded. “The takeaway is that it’s possible. I’ve been doing this since I was a child, evolving into the artist I want to become, with still more evolution ahead. No one will believe in my evolution and dreams more than me. If I don’t believe in myself, my glass ceiling stops here, and I will never break it. I’m a representation that you can do whatever you want. As cliché as it sounds, it’s real.”

She continued, “You can be who you want to be, go where you want to go; no one’s journey is yours. How I got here is mine, and where I’m going is mine. Yours is yours. It’s about maintaining belief and keeping your dreams close. Being authentic about what you give back to the world because no one can be better than you, just as no one can be better than me. My life and dreams are a reflection of God, my purpose. I will continue following that. The takeaway is to keep following your purpose because once you give up, everyone gives up on you. But as long as you stay in the game, no one can take that away from you.”

The final season of All American: Homecoming airs on The CW every Monday at 9 p.m. ET.