“I want to plant seeds.” For Malik, recreation administrative manager at Columbus Recreation and Parks, this growth mindset is foundational to his worldview. Since moving to Columbus on his 8th birthday in 1979, Malik has watched the landscape of our region grow and change.
As the youngest of seven children, he vividly remembers all-hands-on-deck bus trips to the grocery store to help carry the bags home. What started as a functional necessity soon grew into a vital resource for Malik’s independence, connecting him to needed services and the local arts scene.
Malik intentionally instilled that same sense of independence in his own children, teaching them how to plan trips, transfer lines and navigate our growing city without a car. Freedom of movement and connection was an instrumental part of Malik’s personal growth, which is part of why he is such a strong advocate for LinkUS.
“There are those millions of folks that we’re expecting to come into our city,” says Malik. Over the years, he has watched not only Central Ohio grow, but the number of opportunities.
For Malik, LinkUS answers these crucial questions: “LinkUS is doing exactly what it needs to do in this city to support the millions of people who are going to arrive in Columbus,” says Malik. “LinkUS is planting a seed so that, years from now, we have a full blown tree.”