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The journey to becoming a fashion designer has not been easy, according to Malik. He wasn’t sure he had support at home to pursue a fashion degree, and he said a general lack of diversity and fashion influences in his Connecticut hometown made him question whether fashion design was a hobby or a career path.

Malik said he almost gave up on his dream and was initially looking to attend another university.

“That soon changed when I realized the strength of some of the programs that were offered here (at ���ϲ�����), especially in the Fashion Department,” he said.

Within the first few weeks of his freshman year, Malik became ���ϲ�����’s Class of 2023 president.

“My incoming class had the highest population of students of color that the University had ever seen,” he said.

Now, his focus is on perfecting his craft as a Fashion Design and Retailing major, as well as serving in various roles within the ���ϲ����� community.

“I've become a co-chair on the Council for Diversity and Inclusion, worked with specific programming focused on edifying and unifying communities through the Center for Inclusive Excellence, and spoken at a plethora of events – on and off-campus – regarding race relations and how we can build an anti-racist environment,” he said. “���ϲ����� has provided me with space and resources to focus on bringing my visions to tangible manifestations.”