WASHINGTON (June 26, 2020) – Howard University rising senior sports management major, minor in journalism, Jayla Thornton spoke with recent graduate Maalik Nixon (Peachtree City, Ga.) from the men's swimming & diving team, asking 10 questions for the 2019-20 Senior Profile series.
 
Q: What's your favorite part about swimming?
A: Hands down, it's the rush from competing. Being in that moment, you're so focused. And then, it's an all-out blast to win. It's a fight to the finish, and it made me hype every time.
 
Q: How did you get started in swimming?
A: At age six, I got started with swimming when I took one of those "mommy and me" swim classes. From the first lesson, I was good and fell in love. So, my mom quickly found a team that was close to us in Atlanta. She found the City of Atlanta Dolphins, and I got really started from there.
 
Q: What kept you motivated?
A: My expectations for myself kept me motivated because I know what I'm capable of and I hated not performing at my best. I was always so focused on what I needed to improve and that motivated me. I was tough on myself if I didn't perform well, but that pushed me to train more.
 
Q: If you weren't competing in Swimming, what other sport would you do?
A: If I was not swimming, then I would have run track. When I was younger, I ran in between breaks from club swimming. I tried out in high school and had fun doing something other than jumping into a cold pool.
 
I really enjoyed track. So honestly, I realized that I'm all about racing.
 
Q: Who is your favorite athlete and why?
A: My favorite athlete is American swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones. Even though I loved Michael Phelps, seeing a Black male swimmer that fast and successful really made me realize what was possible from a young age.
 
We competed in the same event, so that made me want to be even faster. It was an amazing chance to see representation on an Olympic stage in majority white spaces.
 
Q: Plans after graduation?
A: I'll be moving to California, working in Silicon Valley with Cisco Systems, a well-established technology company. I'm ready to start my professional career and hit all the marks I've set for myself since I got to Howard University. It's an opportunity that I'm so blessed for and stepping into my career path makes me excited for the future.
 
Q: What's your favorite memory at Howard?
A: The first thing that comes to mind as a favorite memory was HU Homecoming because seeing such a grand event with thousands of people is so exciting, especially with your friends. It's a tradition that's so crucial to the culture of HBCUs and you create amazing memories. After that weekend, you're looking forward to the next one.
 
My other Howard memory was my first season-end conference meet because the energy was insane the whole week.
 
Q: What or who will you miss at Howard?
A: Aw man, it's too hard to express everything I'll miss at Howard.
 
So much of my Howard experience centered around the swim team, from practices and meets. So, I'll miss spending time with my teammates. Coach Nicholas Askew (Howard Director of Swimming & Diving) and the rest of the coaching staff will always have a place in my heart because they're the reason why I achieved so much.
 
I'll miss all the friendships I made over the past three years.
 
I'll miss my fraternity brothers because we created life-long bonds, so not being together will be strange.
 
I'll miss springtime at Howard because it's the most beautiful time of the year. When it's sunny and hot on the yard, that's the time everyone plays music and come together for Black happiness.
 
Q: What advice would you give future Bison?
A: To future Bison, don't stretch yourself too thin in doing everything. Howard University has so much to offer, but it's just as worthwhile to find the groups that make you happy. You can accomplish so much in a select few places rather than being a jack of all trades. Take your time, make your connections and be in spaces that satisfy you while being proud because you can easily create a forever family in these spaces.
 
Also, don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone in creating the kind of experience you want.
 
Q: Who would you like to thank?
A: I would like to thank first and foremost is my mother because she's been my main supporter throughout this entire journey. All my success and accomplishments are through her while teaching me moral righteous, genuine, and diligent. She's really the reason who I am today, and I love her so much. I want her to have the world.
 
Also, I'll like to thank Coach Askew because he's the reason why I chose Howard to continue my passion for swimming. He believed in me and became an incredibly important figure in my life, whether it was critiques, support, and mental talks. He's an amazing individual and I'm blessed to have had him as a coach.

About Nixon
 
Maalik Nixon was a three-year member of the swimming & diving team, competing primarily in the freestyle and breaststroke events.
 
In competition, he etched himself in the program's record book, making the all-time performance list.
 
Outside the pool, Nixon was an outstanding student-athlete, earning a spot on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Commissioner's All-Academic Team twice (2019 & 2020).
 
In Spring 2020, the Georgia native graduated with a bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management. After graduation, he's moving to the West Coast where he'll be working in Silicon Valley, southern San Francisco Bay Area of California, for Cisco Systems.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.