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Teacher focuses on generating curiousity

By Velma Crochet

Dr. Carole Bucy is a professor of history at Volunteer State Community College. She has been teaching there since 1995.

She earned her master’s degree in history at Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1972. Bucy worked fulltime at VSCC while going to school part time at Vanderbilt University in Nashville where she earned her Ph.D. in history in 2002.

Bucy is from Texas. She came to Nashville for college. Her plans were to return to Texas to teach but meet her husband during Vietnam and decided to stay in Tennessee, said Bucy.

She also taught a high school history class in Atlanta, Georgia.. She had never lived there before getting the job so teaching Georgia history was challenging. First year teaching is a learning experience said Bucy.

She has been married to her husband for 45 years. They have two children. Their son John lives in San Francisco, California, and is a software engineer for Google.

Their daughter Ellen lives in Sweden with her husband and three daughters.

Bucy, makes several trips to visit her granddaughters. She gets to see them on the computer but doesn’t feel it’s the same as just holding them babies, said Bucy.

Bucy and her husband enjoy eating at different restaurants such as Green Hills Grill and Midtown Café. They also enjoy going to the symphony and enjoying a meal downtown with so many options to choose from.

Bucy, enjoys going to Broadway musicals in New York. She also enjoys taking a good hike out west at National Parks such as Yosemite National Park or a two-week hike at Glacier National Park.

Tennessee offers so many places to visit and you don’t even need a plane ticket. Taking a walk on a green way in Nashville or visiting historical sites such as the Fort Donelson Battlefield said Bucy.

Nashville Cemetery is where James and Charlotte Robertson are buried however, that is also where Bucy’s curiosity for Tennessee history was ignited. Intrigued by all things history she began learning and meeting people in the history field all the while raising her children as a stay at home mother said Bucy.

Most of her graduate work and favorite part of history is centered around women in the twentieth century. Women’s suffrage, fighting for their right to vote. Women’s role in World War I and II plus joining the work force. During the depression women’s roles and how they were affected said Bucy.

Bucy loves teaching Tennessee, history as well. So many of her students are from Tennessee but don’t know much about it. Helping students make connections to the things they drive. My goal is to try and generate curiosity so people will look around and want to learn said Bucy.

“Learn the history of your place, the story, who we are as Americans, as Tennesseans,” said Bucy.

Callie Cothron is a history major at VSCC and is taking Tennessee history with Bucy. She is really enjoying her class and learning about Tennessee.

Her favorite quality of Bucy is her willingness to help the students. Meeting with students anytime, even in the evenings in zoom.

Bucy, has spoken at several schools in and around Nashville. Sharing history with all age groups and enjoys the energy of the children. She has also spoke for documentaries on subjects such as

women’s role during civil war and women suffrage. Most recently she spoke about Veterans and voting for public television said Bucy.

Bucy, spoke Thursday at the Cumberland Compact in Nashville, Tennessee, about the rivers, floods, locks and dams. While their she learned about how the dams are made said Bucy.

“I have learned a lot but still learning,” said Bucy.

Bucy taught workshops for history teachers in Tennessee to help them be better history teachers. Taking them on trips such as Washington, St. Louis and Philadelphia. She also wrote textbooks for fourth and fifth grade students. Bucy took two semesters off from teaching to research for the textbooks. She is very proud of her accomplishments and has been working on the chapters for her Tennessee history class for the last 10 years said Bucy.

Stella Pierce, assistant professor of history at VSCC describes Bucy as fearless, confident, master of her field, and accomplished.

Pierce, said Bucy has many qualities she admires such as her energy, commitment and always prepared for the many presentation that Bucy speaks at such as elementary schools.

“I can go to her with any questions about Tennessee history, U.S. history, she is a wealth of knowledge. She is well read and knows the topic,” said Pierce.

Bucy said VSCC has changed so much over the years, especially after the tornado that hit campus. She loves the changes to the grounds the most.

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