John C. Moten III ‘86
Major: History
Profession: Vice President, Securities Analyst at American Express Financial Corporation, San Diego, Cal.

John Moten says he especially appreciates St. Lawrence’s having encouraged him to major in the field that he was passionate about. History didn’t seem to be very promising when it came to the job search, but John felt certain of success because of the deep knowledge and thorough preparation that he received at St. Lawrence.

“One of the most important things about St. Lawrence is that it puts no restraints on students’ interests and ambitions,” he says, “It was at St. Lawrence that I learned that the crucial part of going to college is finding what you are passionate about. Once you find that, the faculty will help you pursue it.”

Moten is especially grateful to history professor Jack Culpepper for introducing him to history. “I came to St. Lawrence having no idea what I was going to major in,” he says. “It wasn’t until I took a European history course with Prof. Culpepper that I realized what I was especially interested in. I fell in love with history because of the way he taught it. His different and very knowledgeable way of lecturing remains in my memory. By the end of the semester I’d written a large research paper and become more and more fascinated with the subject while doing the research. I’ve taken many history courses since then, but it was this course and this professor that opened my eyes to the world of history.”