Nicholas “Niko” Diacou
New York, New York
Diacou grew up in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. “It made me afraid to live anywhere where you couldn’t walk to a grocery store,” he laughed.
Diacou attended University of Notre Dame and was a member of their championship fencing team. While originally a physics major, Diacou switched to sociology. “It’s one of the most interesting majors in terms of what it teaches you about people,” he said. After graduating, Diacou worked for Americorps in Mississippi. Though he was proud of the work he was doing, Diacou said he felt something was missing. “I realized that if you’re not happy, you can’t really serve others,” he recalled. “Even a noble calling won’t satisfy you.” Diacou moved back to New York and enrolled in Columbia University’s School for General Studies to finish his degree in physics while at the same time training to become a vascular sonographer. After finishing his second bachelor’s in physics last year, Diacou decided to apply to TouroCOM.
Hospital Romance: Diacou met the woman who would become his wife in the hospital where he worked. She worked as an echocardiographer.
