Hi, I am Mike Hogan, a sophomore journalism major, The Bona Venture sports assignment editor and I am from Grafton, Wisconsin (and all sorts of weird looks ensue). The story of how I ended up at St. Bonaventure University may be a crazy one, but it was destiny and I really am carrying a family torch that has been lit for years.
I am no stranger to western New York and the Southern tier, and my family is very connected with St. Bonaventure. I’ve had four family members graduate from Bona’s, dating back to 1954. My parents grew up in nearby Hornell, New York, and I would say that a good 80 percent of my family still lives in the state of New York.
The first time I set foot on the St. Bonaventure campus was when I was just 8 years old taking a summer visit to the bookstore with my parents, two siblings and my uncle, Shawn Hogan, who is a 1974 St. Bonaventure graduate. I wholeheartedly believe that my journey to becoming a Bonnie started on that day.
While St. Bonaventure wasn’t on my radar until the fall of my senior year in high school, because of my family connections I followed the men’s basketball team closely. I will always remember the 2012 season when they miraculously ran the table in the Atlantic 10 tournament with Andrew Nicholson to make the NCAA tournament. And of course I remember the so called “snubbing” of the 2015-2016 season when the Bonnies looked to be a true tournament team in the eyes of many, but still fell short.
It’s clear that St. Bonaventure didn’t come out of the blue when it came down to applying to colleges and making a decision in the spring of 2017, but it most definitely wasn’t on the top of my list.
Growing up just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I had my eyes set on Marquette University, and because I also had major ties to Syracuse University, I also applied there. I wanted to be in a city where the possibilities were endless, I wanted a big school with luxurious buildings with the best equipment and resources to suit my academic needs, and I wanted a school that everyone knew of and respected. And to be completely honest, the Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse was my dream.
St. Bonaventure wasn’t much of an option until November 2017. I was at a rough point in my college search, as I had been denied from the Syracuse journalism school, didn’t know if I wanted to go to Marquette because it was so close to home and felt like finding that one school that was small, but still provided big school opportunities. I did some research, and talked to family members and that lead me to St. Bonaventure. I sent in my application, and couldn’t help but to think back to the day that I spent walking around this campus as an 8-year-old kid. Was this really happening?
About two weeks before Christmas, I received an email that I will never forget. I was in. I immediately shared the news with all of the Bonaventure grads in my family and scheduled a visit to campus. I still wasn’t sure that St. Bonaventure was my school, but I felt something special and distinct about being a Bonnie.
I arrived for my first official visit on campus in February 2017, and I was blown away. The campus was beautiful, the staff and students were as friendly as can be, the opportunities seemed endless, this felt like home and I could see myself as a Bonnie. I loved it, and I didn’t hesitate to confirm my spot in the class of 2021.
So why did that kid, probably the only kid from Wisconsin on this campus, make the 12 hour trek from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to St. Bonaventure University?
Because I was always destined to come here. I am now the fifth person in my entire family to call St. Bonaventure home, and I couldn’t be more proud to say that. I still can remember seeing pictures of my uncle Matthew ’54 standing in the Dev archway, hearing stories of my uncle Joe sneak into the friary with his friends, my uncle Shawn ’74 talk about how he was the king of the wing on the fourth floor of Devereux Hall and my cousin Brie ’09 talking about the late nights out in the town of Allegany and how she had some of the same professors that I currently have.
Does that sound like a Bona family to you?
I am not some random kid from Wisconsin that wanted to be bold and get out of there. I am following the footsteps of my family members that have walked this campus before me, and I am carrying on the family torch that was lit in back in 1954.
St. Bonaventure may be small school, the opportunities are endless, the campus community is closer than any other, the alumni are unbelievable and you’ll meet the best of friends here. This school has already done so much for me, and I couldn’t imagine going to school anywhere else.
By Mike Hogan, Sports Assignment Editor
hoganm17@bonaventure.edu
