He could be seen in the library helping friends with homework and making plans for the weekend. Khaliq worked as a tutor for younger students in the Westport community and served as a role model for many. Always an advocate for his peers, he was involved with Key Club, a philanthropic organization that serves the local community, as well as student assembly where he helped make decisions for the Staples student body. He was a champion for others in everything that he did.
Khaliq’s accomplishments at Staples were impressive, including outstanding grades and many leadership positions, but his true superpower was connecting with others. Khaliq’s ability to connect with people knew no bounds. In addition to his biological and his host families, Khaliq was a son, brother and nephew to so many. His sincerity transcended generations; his friends fondly remember the relationships he cultivated with their family members - grandparents and younger siblings alike. He lived authentically and his support encouraged his friends to do the same. When those close to him needed advice, Khaliq knew how to listen intently and guide them in the right direction. He was a confidant to all. He graduated from Staples High School as a beloved member of the Class of 2014 and a cherished member of the Westport community.
Khaliq then attended Duke University where he pursued a Bachelor's degree in Global Health and Biology. In conversations with Duke friends remembering Khaliq, there is one word that consistently comes up: lucky. Lucky to have had a once-in-a-lifetime friend who made each one of them feel like the most special person in the world. Khaliq’s capacity to love far exceeded your average person’s, and his immense influence could be felt even when he was nowhere near. In his own words, he was iconic.
In a matter of weeks after arriving at college, Khaliq morphed into the undisputed “King of Duke.” Seemingly uninhibited by normal social fears, he naturally established deeply-rooted relationships with everyone he met. Khaliq was devoted to his goal of going to medical school and ultimately becoming a psychiatrist, and it was no surprise that he excelled in his courses. Beyond his studies, he displayed his endless love for Duke by mentoring younger students on campus, acting as a tour guide, and serving as social chair for his fraternity, Sigma Nu. He worked tirelessly to graduate on time with his friends, overloading courses to make up for time spent getting treatment.
Though he was struggling through inconceivable hardship, he wore the brightest smile in the room. He never wanted his friends to see or feel his pain because he cared too much about how it would affect them - his friendships were primary while his ailment was secondary. His positivity was truly the tide that lifted all boats, and even when things got tough, he never forgot a birthday or holiday wish.
There was not a day that went by that Khaliq’s friends didn’t feel loved, cherished, or cared for. For Khaliq’s hundreds of best friends, that meant random surprise drop-ins at their apartments, dinner table toasts that made them laugh and cry, or a simple embrace that could change the direction of the day for anybody who received it.
He pushed his friends to be funny, loving, kind, open-minded, and confident. He was not simply loved and respected by his friends, he was adored. His legacy is everywhere, but perhaps most evident in the friendships that his Duke friends now have with each other. He forged connections and nurtured them each uniquely. He brought people together for so many reasons, he was the glue. His Duke friends are and will continue to be a community because of Khaliq.
Upon graduation from Duke University in 2018, Khaliq accepted a position as a Community Outreach Coordinator at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City, where he dedicated himself to clinical research, enrolling taxi drivers for a program focused on reducing hypertension in New York City, the city that he loved. His city.
Our brilliant, funny and compassionate Khaliq is now on a new journey. He touched and enriched so many lives - bringing joy and laughter as well as knowledge and insight to all he met. He saw the best in us - even when we didn't - and made us want to be better and do better. It was his loving friendship that quietly motivated us - again often without us even realizing it - to live up to our ideals and achieve our promise.
Khaliq defined courage, character and grace. He faced unimaginable adversity with extraordinary humor, patience and strength. He will be missed but his memory will endure in the actions of all who knew him and loved him.
