Khilan, who is from Olive Branch, Mississippi, graduated from Duke with a major in Political Science and a minor in African & African American Studies. Khilan played four years of football for Duke, is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and also participated in the Service Opportunities in Leadership (SOL) and Patman Political Engagement Project programs through the Hart Leadership Program at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Outside of Duke, Khilan enjoys making clothes and watching sports.

During his Hart Fellowship year, Khilan plans to stay in Durham in order to partner with Durham Success Summit. Khilan has previously conducted research on educational discrimination and the pressurization of athletics upon Black youth and this experience drives his plans for his Fellowship year. Khilan aims to craft a new curriculum for both teachers and students, with the goals of cultivating inclusive classroom environments for minority students.