In Focus

STEVE TOTTER
Speech Communications, Rhetoric and Performance Studies

Steve Totter, a senior Speech Communications, Rhetoric and Performance Studies major, has done more by his senior year of college than most people. He started college at 15, joined the military, and is now graduating, is being commissioned as an Army officer and is getting married.

Tell us the story of Steve at Hofstra?

By the time I was 17, I had an Associate Degree with a concentration in communications from Suffolk Community College. I originally went to Hofstra because I heard they had an amazing Public Relations program, which they do. I started as a PR major but after taking a semester off to complete the U.S. Army Infantry Basic Training, I decided to follow my gut to Speech Communication.

Hofsta is a great place to discover what you truly want to do. The University has a wide choice of classes and majors. The School of Communication itself is just filled with smart, interesting and above all dedicated professors. I haven’t had a professor yet who wasn’t personally devoted to their students. I sometimes wonder if other majors get jealous.

How has your involvement with ROTC helped you throughout your time at Hofstra?

ROTC develops your leadership skills. Many people potentially have what it takes to become a leader but you need pressure, opportunity, and guidance to bring it out of you in the fullest way. If you want to discover your full potential as a leader, ROTC is ideal. In my senior year, I have had the privilege of being the ROTC Cadet Battalion Commander. The enormous responsibility has prepared me for the challenges ahead in a way that nothing else could have.

What is your favorite memory at Hofstra?

My fiancé, Melanie, pinning on my Second Lieutenant Rank as I was commissioned as the Hofstra Distinguished Military Graduate. It was an honor.

What is the thing you will miss most when you are no longer a student at Hofstra?

Besides my ROTC family and the professors at Hofstra, I would have to say the campus. With our busy schedules many people don’t take the time to stop and realize that Hofstra has one of the most beautiful campuses in the world. You can hardly take a step off of the walkways before you are in danger of crushing some exotic plant or endangered flower.

What is your edge?

My edge is dedication. Once I set my mind to something I am relentless. I am personally completely dedicated to whatever goals I set my eyes on but I am also supported by the dedication of my fiancé, family, Hofstra professors, the School of Communication and my Army sisters and brothers. Without all of them, I wouldn’t be half the student, soldier and individual I am.