At age 26, Ryan Aguiar loves to hang with other passionate young professionals. But he’s also making sure he ventures outside of his daily “bubble” to focus on making Columbus a better community for everyone.

“The Columbus community is doing a lot of great things in terms of community involvement,” says Ryan. “One area I think everyone could do better in is venturing outside of our bubbles to get involved. Life gets busy and it’s easy to stick to a routine inside your bubble. But life is so much more fulfilling when you feel like a part of the community.”

Part of Ryan’s community involvement includes his new role on United Way of Central Ohio’s LINC (Lead. Impact. Network. Change.) steering committee. He first became involved with United Way when he began working as an attorney for AEP two years ago and was asked to lead the legal department’s campaign. His hard work and leadership led to the invitation to join the LINC committee.

“I was so impressed by everyone in the room at that first steering committee meeting,” he says. “I knew then it was going to be a great experience.”

Like many young professionals who join LINC, Ryan’s days are packed with work, friends and sports. Yet, he makes community service and giving back a priority, with help from United Way.

“It’s impossible to be aware of every issue facing our community. United Way has a dedicated staff that identifies the major issues facing the community and works efficiently and effectively to address those issues,” Ryan says.

His annual gift through LINC is important, he adds, because it helps others and he benefits from investing in his community. A dual-citizen of Canada and the United States, Ryan first came to Columbus to attend The Ohio State University. After graduating with his bachelor’s and a law degree from OSU, he decided to make central Ohio his home. He’s been finding ways to make it a better place to live ever since.