Marc was born in Santa Monica, California, along with his twin sister Monica Nichols, also a Mercer Alumnus. Marc moved to Mercer County the summer before his freshman year of high school and attended Lawrence High School for the first three years, finishing his senior year at Princeton High School. Marc started off as an athlete in other sports - basketball and baseball - before picking up tennis in 8th grade. During his high school years, he fell in love with the sport and excelled quickly, earning both individual and team recognitions at the state level for achievements. After high school, Marc had a non-traditional path to success at MCCC. It took a lot of failing before Marc was able to put it all together.
Legendary coach Stan Dlugosz is the one who initially approached Marc about the opportunities available at MCCC; without him Marc would not be where he is today. During his first year at MCCC, Marc’s studies and tennis playing did not go well. After some time away from college, where Marc focused on teaching tennis at Princeton Racquet Club, he came back to Mercer with a much stronger version of himself, mentally and physically. Coach Marc Vecchiola was newly at the helm, but he ultimately had just as much of an impact on Nichols as former coach, Stan Dlugosz. It was during this time that Marc was able to do well on and off the court, building great relationships along the way and creating indestructible memories. Marc ended up being the first male tennis player in MCCC history to win the #1 Singles Division 3 Junior College Championships and graduate from MCCC with a degree in Liberal Arts. A couple of years later, Marc graduated from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) with a Business degree.
After graduating from TCNJ, Marc spent time playing and coaching tennis professionally, serving as an assistant coach at Princeton University and playing international tournaments throughout the US. After his tennis career, Marc transitioned to work in Financial Services. Marc learned the value of discipline, consistency, and being a lifelong student during his time at MCCC, and he continues to live by those values today.
