Khalia matriculated as an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois in 2021. Originally from Chicago, IL, Khalia recounts what it was like moving to Wheaton, IL, at age seven and attending a predominantly white school as a young Black girl. Later she discusses her decision to attend the University of Illinois, the development of her political identity and personal interests, and how her identities as a revolutionary queer, Black person have shaped her community building experiences at the University and in other spaces.