Industrial engineering graduate finds support and herself at UIC
1
Kaliah Linear honed her skillset at UIC, and now, the industrial engineering graduate is ready to make the world a better place as an operations engineer at Medline Industries, where she is participating in their operations management development program.
Linear’s work provides hospitals and health care facilities around the world with access to medical supplies they need to treat and care for patients.
“As an engineer, this means being able to deliver lifesaving items to customers, which is one way I am going to change the world,” she said. “I’m also teaching high school students STEM. Being able to teach them how to think like a scientist/engineer has given me hope for the future.”
Working with high school students is rooted in the challenges Linear faced during her educational journey, which included navigating the unfamiliar terrain of academia and the professional corporate world.
“I am the first in my family to attend college and the first to have to navigate corporate settings. Additionally, I was an out-of-state student, so I had limited familial support during my journey,” she said.
Without family support, she often found herself as the only Afro-Latina woman in the spaces she was in, leading to feelings of isolation and self-doubt.
“To overcome this, I decided to learn and understand the systemic structures within academia and the professional world that contribute to the marginalization of minoritized students, especially women like me: Afro-Latina women and women with neurodivergence and disabilities,” she said. “It is easy to feel like we are the problem, but it is really the environments and systems around us. Through recognizing these patterns, I have been able to contextualize my experiences, shifting the narrative from personal inadequacy to systemic challenges. My awareness empowered me to actively dismantle barriers, step by step, and advocate for inclusivity.”
During this time, she learned more about herself and took pride in who she is and where she comes from.
“Embracing my authentic self and honoring my roots became pivotal in my journey. By staying true to who I am and where I come from, I not only found my place within these spaces but also paved the way for others to do the same. This commitment to authenticity and representation has been instrumental in transforming feelings of exclusion into a drive for systemic change and empowerment,” she said.
Linear also found support from faculty from several departments. However, it was in MIE that she found support during the most difficult times.
“My largest guidance and mentorship came from Dr. Jeremiah Abiade and Dr. Quintin Williams,” she said. “During some of my hardest times, I would turn to them for help and guidance. These men helped me see myself as an engineer during times of self-doubt. Faculty like this make it worth the journey and experience.”
Linear also found support and grew as an individual as a member of the DuSable Scholars Program, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Omicron Beta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated.
“These organizations allowed me to find my voice in leadership and develop my planning and service skills. I highly value being able to pay it forward and give back in any capacity possible, and I was able to do that through NSBE and my sorority,” she said.
Now, as a UIC graduate, she plans to continue giving back and showing support for others in the same way she found it at UIC.
“I hope to use my degree to continue to tackle food insecurity and help individuals such as myself from underrepresented backgrounds get access to important resources they need to live and contribute positively to society,” Linear said.