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Maine Maritime Academy

Athlete Awards

UCU Student Spotlight

Nikhal Parikh

Nikhal Parikh

  • Award
    UCU Student Spotlight
  • Week Of
    7/5/2022
  • Sport
    Men's Soccer
  • Bio
    View Full Bio
Hometown: Salem, New Hampshire
Major: Marine Engineering Operations with a Minor in International Business Logistics
Anticipated Graduation Year: 2022
 
Why did you choose to attend Maine Maritime? I chose Maine Maritime Academy because it is such a different school compared to other colleges. Traveling all around the world with your best friends, class sizes where the teachers know who you are, the way you’re taught, and the tight community of students sounded great to me!
Why did you choose Marine Engineering Operations for a major? Marine Engineering Operations was the best choice for me because I love being hands on. With this major I will be able to work offshore as well as onshore. It also lets me obtain an unlimited USCG 3 A/E license which is definitely very important to me.
What first got you interested in soccer? My dad was the first person to introduce me to soccer. We would watch the World Cup and a lot of Premier League matches, as he made me a big Aston Villa fan. I first starting playing soccer around the age of 5 and I have really enjoyed playing the game since.
Tell us about something outside of Mariners Athletics that you are really interested in. As much as I love playing soccer, my favorite sport is skiing. I normally ski at Sunday River, but on occasion I will go to Sugarloaf and Loon. Another sport during the summer I also really like to do is wakeboarding.
Who on campus has made the biggest impact on you? Coach Billy has easily been the most impactful person for me on campus. He has helped me so much to learn the sport of soccer better, become a leader, a better teammate, and overall a better person. He is a great person to talk to not only when you have a question or concern but also just in general. I can tell he cares about the students here at a Maine Maritime.
What will you miss most about Maine Maritime? The thing I will probably miss most will be hanging out with the friends I have made here. I’m not saying I will never see them again but most likely I won’t see them as often as I do now.
How did you balance academics, the regiment, and athletics? The regiment does a really good job helping the student-athletes balance sports and regimental requirements. Academically, at first it was a bit of a struggle, however that was because I would procrastinate a lot. As a student-athlete I realized that procrastination is never the option and to get tasks done as soon, effectively, and as professional as you can.
What has been your favorite class at MMA? My favorite class as MMA has to be Machine Tools 2. The teachers are great, they help you when you ask, and also let you do what you think is the best way to go about certain projects. The teachers all enjoy teaching the class, as they have a positive attitude and like to see how students think differently.
What’s your favorite part about being on the Men’s Soccer team? My favorite part about being on the Men’s Soccer team has to be the friends I have made. The team is full of great people that all want to become better players, teammates, and people. Most importantly the guys all want to win.
What are your hopes for the future? I try to keep my goals within a reasonable time as no one can tell me what could happen next, but I hope to have a good job where I am happy and still learning more about me field that I am pursuing.
What advice would you give incoming freshmen? Studying is very important, but what also is important is your health; do stuff that you enjoy and find fun. Health is wealth.
What is your favorite way to relieve stress? Whenever I feel as though I am stressed, facing the problem straight up has worked for me.
 
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Athlete Awards
Date Athlete Sport
7/19/2023 Evan Allen Men's Soccer
7/13/2023 Makenna Middleton Women's Volleyball
7/10/2023 Curt Heinz Men's Basketball
6/6/2023 Holly Reeder-Morning Women's Basketball
9/23/2022 Eli Moulton Men's Soccer
7/11/2022 Andrew Haining Men's Golf
7/11/2022 Hannah Chase Sailing
7/11/2022 Jillian Holden Women's Soccer
7/11/2022 Joanna Howard Women's Cross Country
7/11/2022 Joseph Van Ess Men's Cross Country
7/11/2022 Tristan Walker Sailing
7/11/2022 Will Ducey Men's Golf
7/5/2022 Nikhal Parikh Men's Soccer
3/28/2022 Olivia Harriman Women's Lacrosse
2/13/2022 John Egger Men's Swimming and Diving
1/2/2022 Nicholas Helgerson Men's Soccer
12/26/2021 Garrett Ruszkowski Men's Lacrosse
12/19/2021 Merek Mercado Men's Basketball
12/12/2021 Evan Golembeske Men's Lacrosse
12/5/2021 Jace Chouinard Men's Swimming and Diving
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