Greendale Alumnus Jacob Malinowski’s Journey Through the Election

2016 GHS alumnus Jacob Malinowski ran for State Assembly this fall, and though he did not win the election, he is hopeful that he can still make a difference in the community, whether that will be running for office again in the future or not.

According to many teachers at GHS, Malinowski was a model student. He was involved in the marching band, theater, FBLA, Model UN, and NHS. After high school he attended Yale, and after graduation, Malinowski threw himself in the ring for State Assembly. As he described it, he had quite a few odd jobs throughout his youth like working at McDonald’s and Kwik Trip. Now at the age of 22, he is on his way to greater things.

“I’ve been interested in politics and current events since high school,” Malinowski said. “I was planning on working on a campaign in 2020. Then in the fall of 2019, there were three cases of youth suicides in our community: 2 in greenfield and 1 at Greendale. That same day, our state rep missed 6 bipartisan votes on suicide prevention. I was pretty fed up with this inaction, which only continued throughout 2020, so I got into the campaign to be an active involved state rep.” 

Malinowski was pretty fed up with the current state representative and got into the campaign to be active and involved. “I wasn’t in it to win the title,” he said. “I got into it in order to make a difference in my community.” 

Although he didn’t win, he thought it was a great experience and enjoyed meeting so many people. “The best thing about running for office is having conversations. I got to talk to so many folks, who all have their own interests, ideas, and concerns, and chatting with people on such a local level is really rewarding. It’s the best part of any campaign, and I think it’s what politics should be about,” he said.

Malinowski isn’t all about politics, though. He likes to go for runs and walks outside because he finds spending time outside is a good way to relax. 

“I really like to go on walks or runs, especially with my friends and family. Spending time relaxing outdoors is a good way to clear my head,” he said. “Otherwise, I like to learn new things and read- usually things completely unrelated to politics.”

Malinowski is described as having a positive attitude by many of his teachers. He was very attentive in class, inquisitive, and excelled academically. What I remember most about Jacob is how he took the time to write me a letter to thank me for all my dedication as a teacher,” spanish teacher Marisa Bernal said. “I still have his letter, it hangs on my wall of kindness in my second home- my classroom.” 

Malinowski’s former teachers were dumbfounded by his candidacy. “I first found out that he was a candidate when I was watching television,” Bernal said. “I saw his name flash across the screen, so I took my remote and hit the rewind button. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Jacob Malinowski!” I’m so proud of him.” she said. “I hope he is able to make a difference in our world, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

So, will Malinowski run again in the future? He’s not sure. “Brett Farve said you don’t make career decisions at the end of the 4th quarter. It was a privilege to run for office, but also incredibly exhausting,” he said. “I wasn’t in it to “win the title”, I got into it in order to make a difference in my community. I’m looking for the best way to continue to do that.”