February 2012

February 2012
Kevin E. Boston-Hill

B.B.A. '93

Q & A:

• What was your favorite class, who was your favorite professor, or what is your fondest memory of Hofstra?
  My favorite professors were from the Speech Communications Department – Dr. Charles Fleischman, who is retired now, and Dr. Lisa Merrill, and from the Zarb School, former Assistant Dean Green.  The courses they taught were as much fun as they were informative.
• What was your first job after graduating from Hofstra, and what was the most valuable thing you learned there?
  Upon graduation from Hofstra, I attended Brooklyn Law School.  I know my involvement as a member of the Student Judiciary Board and with the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Society helped with my admission.  From there, I went to work at Court TV as a summer intern, then onto a production assistant position, then associate producer, and producer.  The versatility I developed in high school, and further enhanced at Hofstra, enabled me to work in an industry where I had no previous experience.
• What is your field of specialty, and how did you come to work in the industry?
  For the last 15 years I have worked in education and am currently a high school assistant principal.  Though I was a banking and finance major, I used my electives to take extra English and history courses, which enabled me to gain provisional certification as a social studies teacher.  From there, I took additional courses and obtained certification to become a school administrator.
• What advice would you give current Hofstra students?
  The advice I give to any college student is to explore courses outside of your major.  Use your electives to satisfy a curiosity about a topic outside of your major.  Something I see as a mistake is that students pick electives that just repeat what they are already studying in their chosen major.  Try to be well rounded as a student and maintain a thirst for knowledge.  Besides, with the economy the way it is, you never know where you will end up.  Plus, your needs and desires may change over time.  It would be nice to have experience in a field other than your major to make for an easier transition.
• In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
  Versatile – there is a course or a club for whatever interests you.
• How has your degree helped you?
  I would have to say that my entire experience (all the classes I took both in and outside my major, as well as my extra-curricular activities) has helped me to get to where I am.  However, because of the experience with banking and finance, I have a firm foundation for the presentations and workshops I have done educating people about using credit or informing families of their options when it comes to financing a college education.
• What is your favorite part of your job?
  My favorite part of the job is helping students see their potential and that they are not alone in the world – as many adolescents think.  In fact, I used one of these experiences as the basis for the chapter I contributed to the book You Can Make It to the Top, a “Chicken Soup”-type collection of success stories .
• Do you have a favorite quote or saying that has kept you motivated through the years?
  “Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you will fall among the stars.”
  “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  There is always a way; you just have to have the will.”
• What motivated you to provide Hofstra students with a scholarship? 
  Since I was awarded a scholarship for my hard work, I wanted to provide someone with the same benefit and foster a mentoring relationship to help guide at least one student through college.