Currently in his second season on the men’s soccer team, midfielder and CAS economics major Tristan Medios-Simon has already made important contributions to the success of NYU’s athletics program. Originally from Kailua, Hawaii, Medios-Simon transferred to NYU at the start of his sophomore year of college, in search of academic opportunities. Now in his junior year, he has quickly adjusted from the relaxed Hawaiian lifestyle to the fast-paced New York City vibe.

“The size of the city, the size of the school, can be overwhelming sometimes,” Medios-Simon said. “I see new people every day walking to class. But being an athlete for sure helps with my social life in terms of having a group of friends. You come in and like automatically have a group of friends, whereas if you come in and you’re not on an athletic team, you don’t have a group of friends.”

With a 5-6-2 record this season, the varsity men’s soccer team is off to a less-than-stellar start, but the upperclassmen are excited to test their new lineup. According to Medios-Simon, the freshmen this year are already proving themselves on the field — three of them have even secured starting positions.

“I come from a different background in terms of soccer because I transferred here, so my expectations are high,” Medios-Simon said. “Now it’s a matter of putting pieces back together, and we’re definitely on the right track. I guess we have our ups and downs, and there’s a lot we can improve on. It’s a good group of core guys, and we just need to really get the system down and learn what the coach wants us to do and hopefully we’ll be playing better this season.”

Although he is highly valued for his skills and determination on the soccer field, Medios-Simon is more than just a Division III athlete. From biking around Central Park to applying for internships in his free time, his daily schedule is one to be admired. When he isn’t sprinting down a field or lifting in the weight room, he makes time to get his work done.

“Honestly, I’m in the library a lot,” Medios-Simon said. “[I’m] either in the library or I guess hanging out with friends, but [that] doesn’t happen too much. Honestly right now it’s like soccer and school. It’s like 95 percent of my time in general.”

While he now lives in a city quite different from the familiar beaches of Kailua, he makes an effort every day to take a breath and enjoy the New York landscape.

“I like to watch sunsets,” Medios-Simon said. “Back at home I would base my day around watching the sunrise and watching the sunset. I try to watch as many sunsets as I can.”

As if he didn’t do enough already, Medios-Simon has secured an internship at Barclays Capital for the summer of 2017.

Despite such an ambitious schedule, he is working hard to excel both in the classroom and on the field. Soccer season is just beginning, and Medios-Simon is looking forward to leading his team and himself to success.

Catch him on the field next this Thursday as the men’s soccer team travel to Throggs Neck, New York to play Maritime College.

Email Zel Fortson at [email protected].