Alumnus Profile - Nathan Solares: Military Veteran, Father & Vocational Nurse

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Meet Nathan Solares. He’s a military veteran, a father of two, worked on clinical trials that helped develop the COVID-19 vaccine and oh yes— he’s a Concorde Career College alumnus.

Mr. Solares graduated from Concorde Garden Grove in 2019 as a Vocational Nurse. Since then, he’s been a hospice nurse, a school nurse for kids with special needs and the lead pediatric nurse for St. Joseph’s Medical Health Group where he hopes to move into a supervisory role. Nathan says that he is “prepared every single day because of my instructors here at Concorde and from the opportunities experienced in the skills labs and clinical setting.”

One of the most meaningful parts of his education with Concorde was the opportunity to do clinical rotations at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital (VA). As a Navy corpsman, Nathan was proud of the difference he made for the Afghan people and for his fellow servicemen. Seeing and helping the wounded is what got him interested in becoming a nurse. Participating in clinical rotations in the VA setting was a real full-circle moment for him.

Nathan remembers that when he first left the military, the transition was tough. He felt what he did in the military made a difference, and he wanted his civilian life to be equally fulfilling. He gets that same sense of community and contribution from being a nurse. “I find that purpose every single day. I get up every single day knowing that I am making a difference in someone’s life.” He would encourage other veterans to follow a similar path with Concorde as the place to get the education needed. “To me, Concorde Career College is a family that you can depend on and always know they’re going to be there for you when you need it. What’s stopping you other than yourself?”

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An Optimistic Outlook for the Future

Nathan is motivated by family, security and doing well professionally. He’s optimistic about his career outlook and about choosing the healthcare profession. He knows nurses, medical assistants, pharmacy techs and many other roles are in high demand. He’s seen it firsthand.

“The impact that my career has on me, how I feel about myself, is it’s raised my self-esteem, my confidence and my drive.”

Nathan embraces change that is coming in healthcare. He’s aware that his skills will continuously need updating as more medical technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) come into hospitals. But he also points out that it’s “the compassion that a human can give to a patient or to a family that can never be met by a machine. A nurse is the most valuable asset in a hospital,” he stated with confidence.

To continue advancing in his career, Nathan desires to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), and we have no doubt he’ll accomplish this goal. While Concorde does not offer this advanced nursing degree, we are proud to have acted as his entry-point into the nursing field and support him every step of the way.