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Student Spotlight Corner

Matt Horton

Matt Horton, RN BSN

Primary Care Doctor of Nursing Practice Student

I left my hometown two weeks after graduating high school in 2000 so that I could serve in the military at 17 years old. The U.S. Navy trained me as an aviation machinist to repair and troubleshoot fuel and propulsion systems on both the S3-B Viking and SH-60B Seahawk. I loved my time with the Navy but always felt that I could be doing something more humanitarian. With new changes in my life, I decided to relocate to Utah, where I moved my academic adventure to the University of Utah and returned my focus to nursing. When I declared nursing, I had done so because I had the opportunity to observe my mom interact with her patients, and the love and admiration I witnessed were unforgettable. When I started working as a nursing aide at the Veterans Administration Hospital, I knew without a doubt nursing was my future. I completed my bachelor’s degree of science in nursing (BSN) from the University of Utah College of Nursing in 2014 and continued my service at the veteran’s hospital in the medical intensive care unit, where I continue to practice today. After a few years of practice, I elected for many reasons to advance my career by seeking my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, but the main reason is preventative medicine. I openly welcome my future in primary care.