Chippewa Valley Times

Donovan, hailing from Hazel Green in southwest Wisconsin, selected the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) to achieve his academic and athletic goals. At UWEC, he became an integral part of the Blugold soccer program while maintaining a strong focus on his studies. Donovan will graduate on December 21 with a 3.88 GPA, earning a bachelor's degree in biology and a preprofessional health science minor. He plans to apply to medical school.

On the field, Donovan has been recognized as the 2024 NCAA Division III national soccer player of the year and scholar-athlete of the year. He is also a two-time All-American. Reflecting on his college experience, Donovan stated, “There is no place that I would rather be than UW-Eau Claire.”

Donovan's decision to join UWEC was influenced by the opportunity to contribute significantly to its nascent soccer program. Soccer head coach Casey Holm praised Donovan as setting a "gold standard" for others with his talent and character. Holm remarked, “I can’t put into words how amazing of a young man Nathan is."

During his four years as a varsity starter, Donovan set records as a scorer for Blugold teams that achieved an overall record of 64-13-8. He finished his career as UW-Eau Claire's all-time leader in nearly every statistical category and ranks third in NCAA Division III history with 229 career points.

This season, Donovan led the nation in scoring with 26 goals and helped secure both regular season and tournament titles for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Despite suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the WIAC championship game win in November, which sidelined him for the NCAA playoffs, he expressed resilience about his situation: “I’m trying to have a positive outlook on it."

His interest in orthopedics may guide him toward this specialty after experiencing firsthand what such injuries entail. Donovan noted that empathy is crucial in healthcare: “You want somebody to be able to relate to you."

Before attending UWEC, Donovan worked as a certified nursing assistant at an elder-care facility where he discovered his passion for healthcare. He benefited from opportunities like shadowing experiences at Mayo Clinic Health System-MedEx during his time at UWEC.

Creanna Cote from UWEC’s Health Careers Center described Donovan as mature and professional: “One of the best parts of my job is to see a student who is eager and excited for their future take advantage of opportunities."

Donovan intends to take the MCAT in summer 2025 after rehabilitating his knee injury and hopes to play professional soccer before pursuing medical school.