Black History Month Reflections: Sean Carter

During Black History Month, App State Athletics is highlighting some of the accomplishments and perspectives of student-athletes who strive to make a difference.
 
A native of North Babylon, N.Y., Sean Carter is a sixth-year redshirt senior for App State Wrestling with an undergraduate degree in construction management, and he is on pace to earn his master's degree in sustainable building design and construction management in December 2025, with a goal of becoming a project manager.
 
Carter captured a SoCon title and won a match at the NCAA Championships in 2021 before suffering multiple season-ending injuries, including one this season following a fast start that had earned him a top-20 national ranking.
 
Q: Who are some role models and mentors that have played a big part in your life?

Sean: My dad and my coaches, like my club coach (at Vougar's Honors Wrestling), Coach Vougar, who took me under his wing and mentored me, both on and off the mat. He says it, and Coach Bentley says it, wrestling has a lot to do with life. My pops, he's guided me through life, through the ups and downs, the challenges along the way. He's a big blessing in my life.

Q: How did you get started in wrestling?
 
Sean: My dad introduced me to it at a young age, and I just stuck with it. My older brother did it as well, so I watched him, and when I went to VHW (in New York), Coach Vougar, he was very tough, but he was very, very good. Every person in his club was extremely good, and I wanted to see if I could be as good as everyone else, or even better. So that was my goal, to prove it on the mat and try to be his best student.
 
Q: When it came time to pick a college, what made App State stand out to you?
 
Sean: It was the culture. It was about how everyone on the team treats each other like brothers. We try to hang out with each other every single day or at least talk to each other every single day. It's about the team, and we try to lift each other up every single day. No matter what, like, when we're doing sprints, at the end of practice, we're not gonna be done until everyone crosses that line. It's that culture and that brotherhood here.
 
Q: It's hard to think about your own legacy and stuff like that. When people think about you as both a person and as a competitor, what do you hope that they think about or remember about you?

Sean: In basketball, everyone has a nickname. So, like, Ron Artest, his nickname is Meta World Peace, or, Kobe had that Mamba Mentality. I wanted to be known as "The Problem," because, on the mat, I'm a problem, and it's up to my opponent to solve that problem. And if he didn't, he was gonna lose.
 
Off the mat, I've matured a lot through these six years. I was a person who was unorganized, kind of a mess, but I feel like I've had the guidance of my pops, my coaches and my teammates to help me when I make mistakes. My pops, when I mess up on an exam or whatever, he's always there to pick me up. My stepmom and my whole family does. Getting with my coaches, it was making sure you watch film, prepare the correct way and work on your technique. Overall, as a person, my growth mindset has increased a lot from being a less-confident kid to a more mature, confident young adult.
 
Q: Why is acknowledging and celebrating Black History Month important to you?

Sean: It's about educating others about culture. It's about stepping outside of the textbooks. There's a lot of stuff that we don't learn in high school or we don't have time to cover as much. I feel like people should be able to step outside the norm and learn about civil rights or Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali. Those are just some examples of big mentors, big names that, when you think about Black History Month, those people pop up. Doing that research, it's about inspiring and embracing the culture.

Q: Representation matters, so how did older teammates or coaches make an impact on you and how have you tried to be a good role model for younger teammates?
 
Sean: When I was a freshman, some of the mentors for me were guys like Jon Jon (Millner) and (current assistant) Randall (Diabe), who had just gotten done being a student-athlete himself. He knew what I was about to go through, and Jon Jon had been here for a year or two, so he knew the big change for my environment, the culture and levels of wrestling. I've always wanted to be an uplifting person, but now, more than ever since I'm out (with injury), I want to be uplifting and boost the confidence of my teammates to help them whenever they're doubting themselves or if they're just nervous for a big match. I just want to be that person, like, "Hey, man, just breathe. Cut loose. Go have fun."

Q: Any final advice?
 
Sean: Within this next year, I'm about to have some different real-life experiences, with going into the workforce and everything. So, just enjoy the process. I remember (App State Wrestling alum) Cary (Miller) telling me during my freshman year to enjoy the process and enjoy the moment. Stay in the moment. Don't think about the past or the future. Just be in the present. Someone told me this, the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. So put the work in to give yourself an opportunity to succeed.