As the Student Affairs Specialist at the University of North Florida, Kalilah creates and executes programming aligned with the university’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. She specifically helps to oversee The Interfaith Center, which specializes in religious and non-religious diversity programming. She spends her days bringing interesting, influential and often challenging topics to the table with the intention of uniting people of varying backgrounds and points of view. Working in student affairs takes a whole lot of passion, patience, and the genuine desire to help others find themselves—and we can’t think of a better person for the gig than Kalilah. 

The Basics:

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Current city: Jacksonville, Florida
Alma mater: University of North Florida
Degree: B.A., Sociology; M.S., Higher Education (Spring 2022—Manifest it, babes!)
Very first job: Team Up After School Program Counselor, Andrew Robinson Elementary
Hustle: Student Affairs Specialist, UNF Interfaith Center

The Interests:

Babe you admire and why?
It took a village with me! My interest in Student Affairs was birthed by Rachael McNeal and Tarah Trueblood, giants in their field and the first professional mentors I ever had. They set my standard for what to look for in the people around me, and I am forever in debt to the ways they took in my shy sophomore self and cultivated me into the young professional I am today.

And Michelle Obama. 

What game/reality show would you win?
Love Is Blind, because my tender heart would take that prompt very seriously. 

Dream concert to attend?
Queen Bey!

What’s the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Not everyone will recognize what you do, so you have to develop ways to recognize yourself. 

What’s one thing you wish you knew more about?
Music! I’ve always wanted to play an instrument. 

If you could have coffee with anyone in the world, who would it be?
Crissle from The Read podcast! 

The Hustle:

Tell us about your hustle.
As a Student Affairs Specialist at University of North Florida, I have the honor of creating and executing programming aligned with the university’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. I specifically help to oversee The Interfaith Center, which specializes in religious and non-religious diversity programming. This means my everyday job duties include discussing the big questions in life, such as: Who are we? What is our purpose for being here? What grounds us in challenging times? More than that, though, I get to help guide students and provide resources as they embrace and explore their identities in a college setting. Let me emphasize: this includes folks who are not religious! 

What is the Interfaith Center? What did your involvement there look like before it became your career?
We focus on programming that unites folks across different points of view to discuss some pretty unique topics in the diversity and inclusion world! Where else can you talk about the existence of a higher power, why so many people were mad about Ariana Grande’s “God Is A Woman”, and how most of the pivotal movements in our society were guided by leaders deeply influenced by their beliefs? Our world views help us decide how we want to create meaning in our lives, as well as influence how we find the strength to keep going when the world feels unbearable. The Interfaith Center is also an extension of a nationwide movement to find ways to recognize the shared humanity in each other. It’s about learning the power of our personal stories as vehicles to connect us across differences. And, it’s about recognizing that it’s okay to feel motivated by something different than your neighbor. I found The Interfaith Center on happenstance when I was a student, and I am forever grateful I found my way back upon graduating.

Which came first, your desire to work in higher education or specifically at the UNF Interfaith Center? What makes you passionate about student affairs?
Despite attending college and coordinating countless events as a student, I didn’t really understand the depth of job opportunities that existed in higher education. So I definitely desired to be involved in the Interfaith Center first! I was such a shy student—which is shocking to anyone who knows me now—and I came into myself through the programming at the center. It was there that I learned public speaking, event coordination, outreach skills, and how to articulate my values in ways other people could understand and relate to—even if they didn’t share my identity. When I look back, though, I think both of those things happened at once, I just didn’t see how the dots connected until I started working at UNF. The passion Student Affair professionals have for students is unmatched, and it has been so moving to be a part of this field. I just finished my first year as of May and I wouldn’t change a thing! As for the journey, let’s just say I’ve never been bored!

How have your past professional and academic experiences prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
Upon graduation, I worked for United States Senator Bill Nelson in his local district office as a Congressional Staffer. I got in right near the 2016 election, and it was a wild ride from start to finish. I had two phenomenal women who quickly transitioned from supervisors to wonderful colleagues and friends (I own Katie & Michelle coffee dates post-’Rona), and they guided me through some of the hardest moments in my career so far. Politics were angry and messy, but also introduced me to some of the most ethical and passionate people I’ve seen in any field. They say politics and religion are two topics you shouldn’t discuss at the dinner table. But the cultural and social movement we’re in right now (and have always been in, TBH,) requires that we deeply interrogate what our personal beliefs align with and how to use them to fight towards the common good. We are past the point of being scared to talk about things—our future requires us to have the difficult conversations that present themselves in religious and political spaces. 

How has being a WOC impacted your professional experience? What can we do to create more supportive and inclusive work environments inside and outside of your industry?
Paying attention to intersecting identities is so important, because whatever challenges women face are multiplied by being black. We have seen countless examples of black women not being heard, feeling devalued, misunderstood and disrespected. I want people to pay attention to the black women they work with. I want them to really hear and value our ideas, and respect our energy. I want folks to understand the cultural differences (especially in communication) that can come from my blackness. As great as allyship and advocacy is, I also want kinship and sisterhood. Bring multiple black folks into your projects and payrolls. Don’t let us stand alone.

What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
Within my first year in this role, I was nominated for the 2020 Presidential Diversity & Inclusion Award—an award that my previous director, Tarah Trueblood won in 2016. It felt like a spiritual confirmation that I am in the right place, doing the right work, and I have an exciting future ahead of me in this field.

Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
I adore black culture podcasts; The Read is my personal favorite. I’ve been a listener since college and Crissle, the co-host, has changed my life. She offers humor and realness at every turn and I deeply admire black women who have taught themselves to take up space. She was also one of the first black women I’ve known who spoke as loudly as I did and did not apologize for it. The beautiful thing about Student Affairs is that it’s a career made out of advocating for people and helping them find themselves. So although Crissle doesn’t work in higher education, her lessons translate well into my profession.

Career and/or life advice for other babes (both inside and outside of your industry?)
Imposter syndrome is our worst enemy. Developing confidence in yourself, your worth, and your work is the most radical thing you can do. And the more marginalized you are, the more radical the act of confidence becomes. You deserve the good things that happen to you because you worked hard for them! 

Connect with Kalilah:

Instagram: Personal // Interfaith Center
Department of Diversity Initiatives

This interview has been condensed and edited.

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