Detours don’t stop new Canyon Laker’s dreams

BY Dawn Rankins

Nathan Streater.

Nathan Streater moved to Canyon Lake just two years ago from Arizona. At 41, Nathan is no stranger to detours in life. At the age of 15 months, he was diagnosed with leukemia and by the time he was in his late 30s, he developed not just one, but three brain tumors, known as meningiomas.

Nathan said he shouldn’t be alive today. The odds were never in his favor, but faith and the love and support of his family, especially his mother, Claudia Pinto, have given him a second chance at life.

Now, the survivor, he’s decided to pay it forward by working in finance. He said he wants to help educate kids. While Nathan was at an early age, his grandmother, a teacher who grew up in the depression, taught him the importance of saving money.

“I love the quote by Earl Nightingale, ‘we become what we think about’,” Nathan said. “Like many survivors of horrific diseases such as cancer, I choose to not let it define the rest of my life. Instead, I don’t want to be known as a survivor, but a thriver.”

He grew up loving numbers, he said.

“I didn’t use that love until recently when I dove into the world of finance,” he said. “I use my initials as my inspiration, Nothing Like Success. I want to pass on my passion for life and numbers with those who have battled and continue to battle cancer.”

Nathan Streater sits up in bed a few days after brain surgery during which tumors were removed. Photos provided by Nathan Streater

He said he is eager to get started and doesn’t want to waste another moment of his life.

“I don’t want sympathy for the obstacles I’ve faced,” he said. “I want to inspire others the way they inspired me.”

Nathan said he has fallen in love with Canyon Lake and its sense of community.

“I love taking my inspiration walks and meeting new people along the way,” he said. “I feel a sense of acceptance here and I am grateful for that. I am proud to call Canyon Lake my home.”