Unfortunately, because Nolan is deaf, he does not pass the medical exam required for Military Members. He explains in his TED Talk, “Deaf in the Military,” that he’s dreamed of enlisting ever since he was a child. When he turned 18, he tried to enlist at various locations, but each one turned him away as soon as they discovered his disability. Despite this, Nolan doesn’t give up on his dream. Although he is a teacher, he also started to take classes in a ROTC program. This changed everything for him as he realized that he was physically capable of being a soldier. Unfortunately, he only made it to the third level, when the physical hearing test held him back.