A Long Time Coming: Carter Bunce, Incoming History Major

My name is Carter Bunce, and I am from Phelps, New York. Phelps is a small town, situated almost equidistant between Rochester and Syracuse in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. I have an identical twin brother, Garrett, who also attends St. Bonaventure and is a sports studies major. I also have an older sister, Marissa, who is twenty three and a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College. I enjoy watching all types of sports, including soccer, basketball, football, and baseball, and I participated in sports throughout high school. I enjoy reading, watching documentaries, traveling, and spending time with my family and friends. I am open minded, responsible, caring and have a strong work ethic which will hopefully lead me to success during my time in college.

St. Bonaventure was the right choice for me because of the community atmosphere and size. I was drawn by how caring everyone treats each other and by the reassurance that I would get to know my professors on a better level than at a large school. Coming from a small high school, it was an easier transition knowing that there was not a large number of students per class. Also, the beauty of the campus and the pride of being a Bonnie were hard to miss out on. I have never heard a single negative comment about the school; I knew something had to be special.


I am majoring in history with a hope to become a high school history teacher. History was my topic of choice because, ever since I could remember, I have loved every aspect of it. As a young child, I could not get my hands on enough books about history, especially anything about the Revolutionary, Civil, and World Wars, or watch enough television programs or movies. I never considered a future that didn’t involve a substantial amount of history. Then, growing up and going into high school, I became even more interested about the social impact of history, world cultures, American history, and the Presidents. I am enticed by the stories of struggle, revolt, compromise, and conflict that are present in history that you can’t get in other areas of study. Another reason for my interest was my junior level Advanced Placement United States History teacher Mr. Ken Campbell. He made learning fun by talking in voices relevant to the topic, telling stories that weren’t in the textbook, and by bringing in his guitar to sing during a lesson. From then on, I looked at him as a role model and knew that I really wanted to teach. In teaching history, I could hopefully give a student the experience that I was given by Mr. Campbell.

The permanence of history is also fascinating to me. The topics we study actually occurred and have played a large role in shaping cultures, and way of life. The world as we know it wouldn’t be the same without the various events that occurred in the past. Studying history will help me achieve my goals and give me an even greater grasp on the world around me.