An Arkansas delta native, Kalina is mostly a poet, but her fiction and creative nonfiction have also been published. She is a high school English teacher responsible for many courses, including creative writing. Her work tends to be confessional and southern. Kalina holds a BA in English, a BFA in Creative Writing, and an MA in Liberal Arts (with a focus in English), all of which were awarded by Arkansas Tech University. She is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing through the University of Arkansas - Monticello and served as the poetry editor for UAM's literary journal, Shadowplay during the Spring of 2025.