Bengal Tales – Mark Hosken

Class Year: 1978
Degree: B.S. in Criminal Justice

Current Occupation: Attorney – Supervisory Assistant Federal Public Defender in Rochester, NY

What is one of your fondest memories of Buffalo State?
I enjoyed my days as a commuter student. I met my wife and some of the best people I know while a student at Buffalo State College (BSC). The afternoons at the Pub and the annual Commuter Days were almost as enjoyable as the time I spent with my teammates on the club hockey team.

Were you involved with any on-campus organizations as a student?
I was part of a group of five students who resurrected the club hockey program in 1976. I joined those teammates on the ice for my junior and senior years. I was a member of the United Student Government Senate as well as a board member of the Faculty Student Association. I also began my path on the road to law school while a member of the student run legal aid clinic.

How did graduating from Buffalo State shape your future?
The skills I acquired while attending BSC made me less apprehensive when I began law school. I developed confidence in my abilities that I could make it through law school based on the professors, my friends, my coach, and the staff I encountered during my four years at BSC. That foundation helped me successfully complete a law school education. It furthered my ability to try cases by reminding me to talk with jurors as if they were my classmates and friends sitting in the Union.

What accomplishments have you achieved since graduating from Buffalo State?
I graduated from WNEU law school in 1981. My career is the representation of indigent people charged with crimes. I served as a public defender in Buffalo City Court, in the Monroe County & Genesee County public defender offices. Currently, I am the Supervisory Assistant Federal Public Defender in Rochester, NY. I appear daily in federal court where I represent impoverished people. This has been my career for the past twenty years. Recently, the Monroe County Bar Association presented me with its 2016 Charles F. Crimi Memorial Award. The award is presented to an attorney who exemplifies fearless and unselfish dedication to the principle that the poor and disadvantaged are entitled to equal treatment under the law.

My greatest accomplishment was convincing Susan (Wickett) Hosken, ‘79, to marry me in 1980. My wife and I live in the Rochester area. We have two sons and a daughter-in-law.

Do you have any advice for current students trying to achieve success after graduation?
Find your passion. What do you want to do? What is most important to you? Though your first job or two may not be in your career field, be patient. Keep track of your goals. Plan for your future. Don't give up your wishful thinking. Most importantly, stay in touch with your friends. You never know where or when your best opportunity will arise.


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Originally posted: December 2016