Black Excellence: Kayla Pilgrim

Tariq El-Amin 00:01   

Welcome to “Black Excellence” at UIC.   

The Office of Student Success and Belonging, with Dr. Aisha El-Amin.    

Recording of Dr. Martin Luther King 00:09   

[Applause] Believe in yourself and believe that you’re somebody.   

Clips from 1995 movie “Panther”  00:17   

His intention is that we study and master a bunch of different things.  
Why are you here?    
Study and master a bunch of different things.  
I’m proud to introduce our new Minister of Information .  

Aisha El-Amin 00:26   

I’m Dr. Aisha El-Amin.   

Tariq El-Amin 00:29   

Welcome to “Black Excellence.”  

Kayla Pilgrim 0:35 

I think a lot of people think bravery is like never being afraid of anything or not having any fears. But I think bravery is being afraid or being very afraid, but doing the thing anyway because it matters to you. 

Aisha El-Amin 0:56 

Hello, hello, hello good people, and welcome back to all of my great listeners, both new and old. I want to welcome you to the University of Illinois Chicago Black Excellence podcast. It’s sponsored by the Office of Student Success and Belonging in partnership with the Vice Chancellor of Strategic Marketing and Communications. And I’m your host, Dr. Aisha El-Amin. I serve as UIC’s executive associate vice provost for student success and belonging.  

Just a little bit of history and context – UIC’s Black Excellence podcast was initiated in Black History Month 2022. And we started off with 28 days of Black excellence. And this highlighted the history and legacy of exceptional Black faculty, students and staff that all call UIC home. During this month, we talked to graduates at all walks of life, from entrepreneurs to politicians, and they offered inspiration and sage advice while connecting the historic paths to our contemporary time. However, UIC’s cup of Black excellence runneth over, and so we continue this podcast with understanding that you cannot know where you’re going until you understand, appreciate and connect into where you come from. So I stand in gratitude for the time that each of our alumni have given to us to have a conversation and to inspire. 

In this episode of The Black Excellence podcast, we speak to Kayla Pilgrim, a 2024 UIC graduate who earned her degree at just 18 years old. Now embarking on her professional journey, Kayla brings fresh perspectives to complex challenges and is committed to mobilizing the next generation to meaningful change, a passion developed during her time here at UIC. In our conversation, she speaks about the work she’s doing to empower youth and offers advice for students determined to unlock their full potential and make an impact. Kayla begins today’s episode by sharing her story and journey to success. 

Kayla Pilgrim  03:09 

My name is Kayla Pilgrim. I was born in Las Vegas, but I grew up in Berwyn, Illinois. It’s a suburb of Chicago. I’ve lived there my whole life. I live there now, and I originally, after graduating from high school early, I went to community college in Cicero. I went to Morton College, and I was there for about a year because I had some college credits from high school, from dual credit and AP classes that were able to transfer over. And while I was at Morton College, I was able to earn my associate of arts degree, and I had a great time there. I think it was definitely Morton College that helped me have such a seamless and easy transition to UIC, and they definitely supported me and helped me along the way, until I got to UIC.  

And so I ended up transferring to UIC, where I had about a year and a half left there, and I majored in political science, and I minored in logic, argumentation and writing. And I’m really lucky to have been able to become involved on campus, even though I was a transfer student. I was a commuter for half the time, so I know those two things can make it really hard for students to be involved. But that was something that I was really passionate about and something that was a goal of mine, to make sure that I was able to find new friends and find my community and be able to do impactful work while I was a student and while I was in college. So, I was very privileged to be able to accomplish that.  

The club that I was in for the longest time was the Student Advocacy Coalition, which is a student- led group on campus. There’s one at UIS and UIUC. And I was able to be on the executive board of that, which was just an amazing time. I was a writing center tutor for some time. I was also part of the Honors College, and I was able to do research, which was just a blessing, being able to do research while on campus. I eventually graduated December 2024 at 18, which opened up so many doors for me. I was able to be featured as an inspiring graduate for fall 2024. And now I am working with Made By Us, on the Youth 250 Bureau, working on youth advocacy and civic engagement and making sure that America’s history and future are youth-centered. 

Aisha El-Amin  05:40 

Wow. So, 18 years old graduating from college. Tell me, this is a very unique experience. Tell me how you think, because you have such a unique and impressive path, graduating high school at just 16 years old, right? (Yes.) And then graduating here at UIC just this past December 2024. Have you always wanted to graduate early? Like, how did you get on this path of early graduation from high school and now from college? 

Kayla Pilgrim  06:17 

I never really had the goal when I was younger, like, oh, I want to graduate college at 18. Like, it was never specific in that way. But I know I have always been very conscious of where I learn and how I learn. And it’s really important to me to make sure that when I’m in a place, whether that be college or high school, that my environment is going to be the best for my future. It’s going to be most impactful for me.  

When I was in middle school, I skipped sixth grade. And it was a very hard decision, because I was leaving behind some friends, even though we were in the same school. But I knew that being in sixth grade and the content and the learning style wasn’t the best for me and wasn’t helping me grow. Which, you know, I think is the point of education, is going through those challenges and accomplishing them and learning new things. And I felt like I wasn’t having that. And so I skipped, and that kind of sentiment I carried with me, and I made sure I was being very conscious of, OK, am I being challenged? Am I learning new things? Am I happy? And all of those things kind of came into consideration, which led to, you know, me graduating high school early, and then eventually graduating college at 18.  

And I think, also, it was easier for me because I just kind of thought of it like, if I can do it, then, you know, why wouldn’t I do it? And I think it was easy for me to have the confidence, especially in college, because I had graduated high school early before. But it was more so less a goal and more of, like, being able to prove to myself that I can do hard things and do things that I think would be of most impact to me in the end. 

Aisha El-Amin  08:20 

Absolutely. So you talked about your experience with the Student Advocacy Coalition as really a great touch point for you and involvement. Tell us a little bit more about that experience and how did you even decide to get involved? 

Kayla Pilgrim  08:40 

So before I started UIC, I was on UIC campus groups all night, looking at the different organizations. Because I’m a big over-preparer before I get into anything. So I was looking and I had a note list of all the different organizations that I wanted to join, ranked, and at the top of that was Student Advocacy Coalition. That one just appealed to me so much. I think it really resonated with my future goals and that kind of impact I was looking to make on campus. And so, I eventually started having conversations with their former president, and in those conversations, she kind of thought that I would be a good fit, and she introduced me to the current executive board at the time. And then from there, just engaging and making sure that I was super involved and making sure that I had the skills that I could offer to help grow the organization at UIC.  

I eventually became a part of the executive board. I was their director of communications. And with that, I really felt that stretch, and I felt, you know, those challenges and overcoming it. It was my first time being in like a club executive board in that way. And it was just so rewarding, being able to impact students so closely like that. With SAC, our big cornerstone event is Lobby Day, where we take students, they don’t have to be SAC members. We take students to Springfield to advocate on behalf of UIC and policies that concern them or interest them, and they’re able to talk directly with their legislators. And just the stories that students come away with from there really warm my heart and people feeling empowered that they made an actual change because of their words, their actions. Just that day was one of the days that I’ll always remember, Lobby Day.  

And SAC does such great work overall, impacting students with civic engagement. We did a lot of voter registration initiatives, and UIC actually got named one of the most engaged campuses for student voting for 2024. And I think SAC really helped a lot with, you know, those initiatives, with getting out the vote. So it’s just great to walk away from that and see that I had a hand in making those big impacts for the college. 

Aisha El-Amin  11:14 

Absolutely. It sounds like your role in SAC impacted your role after college as well. So we have students that struggle with knowing that their voice matters and believing that. What would you do to encourage students to make sure that they realize that their voice matters?  

Kayla Pilgrim  11:41 

I think something that really helped me gain confidence in that aspect was just looking around at the amazing young leaders who are doing work and who are, you know, respected and who are heard and who are making those big moves. They are all over. They are at your college, they are in your state, and really just being open to hearing those stories and being ready to really feel that inspiration is crucial. So seeing other people, other young people who were making an impact really inspired me. 

And I think also being able to have self-confidence in your own small impacts, being able to look back and feel real accomplishment and stuff that you’ve done before to help propel you forward and make those bigger accomplishments and those bigger impacts, I think really helped me. I think a lot of people really downsize the stuff that they do, which, you know, might be normal, especially among young people. But really people need to take ownership of the impact that they’ve made before and use that as kind of a guideline and use that to give them confidence to continue making their voice heard and to continue making impact in the future. 

Aisha El-Amin  12:53 

Absolutely. Being a commuter student, being involved in SAC, and then graduating at 18. How did you manage so many things at your plate at one time at UIC? 

Kayla Pilgrim  13:12 

So, I originally did start in the dorms, but unfortunately, due to circumstances in my personal life, I had to commute. But being in the dorm for that little bit really did help me, because I was so close to my classes and so close to the student organizations. So I was really able to – I think most of my work and like I took most of my credits during those semesters. But then when I was a commuter student, that’s really where my family support came in, and that was really where I just had to have, you know, my siblings and my mom making sure that all of our schedules align, making sure we all got out of the house on the right time, everything like that.  

I really owe it all to my family to help me have the time and the energy to be able to participate further in student organizations, to be able to continue my academics at the rate I was going. And so being a commuter, I know, definitely has its challenges. But for me, during that time, I was really grateful to have not really too much of a change from when I was dorming, which then, because of the amount of credits I was able to take in those last semesters, led me to graduating in December. 

Aisha El-Amin  14:35 

When you look back on your time at UIC, what impact did it have on you in the story that you’re telling us about your trajectory and where you are now? 

Kayla Pilgrim 14:47 

I think UIC, it‘s diversity is something that is unparalleled. It’s definitely something that had an impact on me. Something that really mattered to me was having, like, a good college experience. And I knew some part of me felt that, because I was not only a transfer, a commuter, and that was graduating at such a young age, I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t really missing out. And I feel like because of just the diversity and the different types of organizations and opportunities that UIC offers, I never felt that way, even graduating at 18, because I met a new person every day. There was a new event to go to every week. So I really felt like I had that full college experience, which I’m so grateful for. Because that really was a fear of mine, being a transfer student and not going to UIC since my freshman year. But because of the many different types of people I met, the different stories I heard, I felt like I was able to take that with me. And now I’m able to feel more confident in using my college experience and telling my story to use that in the spaces that I’m in now, in the advocacy work that I try and do today. 

Aisha El-Amin  16:06 

What advice would you offer to current and future students, especially those who are walking a similar path as you? They may be transfer or commuter or part of the executive committee on a student org, or graduating early. 

Kayla Pilgrim  16:25 

I think you really have to be brave, I think is the best word. And I feel like a lot of people don’t fully understand what that word means. And I think a lot of people think bravery is, like, never being afraid of anything or not having any fears. But I think bravery is being afraid or being very afraid, but doing the thing anyway because it matters to you. And there’s a lot of times where I was very scared. I was afraid. I didn’t know what the outcome would be, and that worried me. But just doing it anyway and pushing through those fears and pushing through the talk in your head and doing it anyway, I think that’s true bravery. And if you want to do the things that matter to you, it really does take being brave.  

And I think I also want to send a message to young people who, especially, feel like their age limits them and limits their impact, that your age and your youth is your power and being able to have that young-people perspective, organizations are looking for that. People are looking for that. People want to hear you and hear your story. You should never let your age or any part of your identity limit you or limit your potential for impact. 

Aisha El-Amin  17:49 

Yes, that’s very sage advice. Where did you get your bravery from?  

Kayla Pilgrim  17:55 

I think it’s from the people around me. I am so lucky to have grown up with the most resilient women that I’ve ever seen, who have gone through challenges that I’ve never experienced, but who came out the other side stronger, who came out the other side still loving and still somehow appreciative of the world and wake up happy every day. And so the women around me, seeing that bravery and seeing that resilience and seeing them continue to do the work every day of their lives, no matter their anxieties, no matter their fears or anything that they could be going through. And the women that continue to inspire me in these communities and hearing their stories and seeing just how brave they are. How could you not be inspired by that and really want to be brave in your own way? 

Aisha El-Amin  18:55 

Now that you graduated and you’re now in the post-red era and working in the field. Tell us a little bit more about what you’re doing now and where you see yourself maybe five years from now, 10 years from now. 

Kayla Pilgrim  19:08 

So right now, I’m working with the Youth 250 Bureau. It’s with the organization Made By Us. And we are a cohort of 100 young people. And essentially what we’re doing is we are learning different skills every week to eventually prepare us to consult nonprofits, cultural institutions, museums, government agencies, and making sure that their planning and their programming is youth-centered for America’s 250th.  

I think five years from now – so in the future, I plan to get my MPA. I really do want to learn more about the inner workings of government. I think that’s something that’s so important to learn if you’re going to be in the advocacy space, because policy is so important and. being able to be knowledgeable about what’s going on in your country and what’s going on in the world. So that’s definitely a goal of mine. 

But I really do want to continue doing this work, specifically with youth. I think that is the population that I would love to focus on five years from now. And if I could continue doing work that can help young people feel inspired, I think that’s what I really want to focus on, is making sure young people feel inspired to go do their own thing in their own community, to make their own impact in their own ways. I think that’s super important. And I would love to continue doing work with the Illinois government. I think I’m going to stay in Illinois my whole life. I love this state. So yeah, I just want to continue doing important work with civic engagement, advocacy, youth leadership. All of those things are really important to me. 

Aisha El-Amin  20:57 

Sounds awesome. So I want to end with some gratitude. First, gratitude to you for being part of the UIC Flames family and doing the work that you’re doing, both inside of UIC, that you have left a legacy and now that you’re doing outside of it, and also give you an opportunity to thank people and spaces at UIC that had an impact on you while you were here. 

Kayla Pilgrim  21:25 

I want to thank the U of I department of external communications, who oversaw the Student Advocacy Coalition. They are doing just incredible, unseen, unappreciated work. So the entire department I definitely want to extend my gratitude to. The LARES program was essential in helping me find my community, helping me find my best friends. Definitely the LARES program was huge for me. I think, also my family, my mom. I really couldn’t have done it without my mom, like, she is my rock. She is who I always have in my mind and remind myself of when I feel like I want to give up or I don’t want to keep going, is her. So I really do want to thank her, above all, for giving me life and for motivating me every single day.  

Aisha El-Amin  22:25 

Kayla, you are an inspiration. Thank you so much for joining us and thank you for continuing to inspire us. Thank you. 

Announcer  22:33 

Thanks for joining us. Find more inspiring and informative conversations with UIC alum, faculty and staff at blackresources.uic.edu. That’s blackresources.uic.edu.