From struggling student to mentor of many Professor shows that getting from point A to point B isn’t always easy

THOMAS DILLON Reporter @Troundupnews

Far from the confidant veteran professor who strolls the Pierce College campus today, when James McKeever was 18 years old ,he was struggling with his new role as father while balancing a nearly 50-hour work week and a full load of classes at Valley College.

It’s that path that helps McKeever, a self-proclaimed advocate for underrepresented youth, understand what many of his students are experiencing.

“It took me nine years to get through community college,” McKeever said. “It’s hard when you’re struggling. It’s hard to concentrate and focus on studying when you’re not knowing how you’re going to feed your kids the next day, actually not even the next day.” with Dusenbury that changed his life.

“At the very end of it, Bill pulls out this metal box and puts it on the table,” McKeever said. “Bill said this to the parents: ‘Here is the box with all your checks and money, James coaches from now on, lineup right here so you can get your refund.’ And I thought, wow, Bill really stood up for me, and that made me sort my life around.”

Although Mckeever was not supposed to meet with the kids he mentored, he felt a sense of responsibility in making sure they stayed on the right track.

He met with one of the kids and wanted to give him some encouraging words.

“I went and met with one of the best kids we ever had there,” McKeever said. “He was working as a Starbucks manager at that point.”

Mckeever recalls a time moment in the Juvenile hall he had with him.

“He was folding laundry as I walked in, and I said, ‘Hey look, keep your head up, because you shine; Those words really stuck with him.” Mckeever said.

McKeever would go on coaching at the park for years to come. Coaching kids wasn’t about the sports it was about helping them out in their life.

“You never know what it is or when somebody needs it,” said McKeever. “Sometimes it’s just listening to them for a moment and that meant a lot to me being there for them in that moment.”

McKeever went back to Valley College and received his AA degree. After he got a full time job mentoring kids at a Juvenile Hall.

McKeever said he grew up in a rough neighborhood. At the time he participated in a variety of sports at a nearby NoHo park. A park director, Bill Dusenbury, took an interest in him.

McKeever attended a meeting

“I really loved working with those kids,” McKeever said. “ They had horrific lives themselves and a majority of them felt a lot of remorse for their actions. They felt like nobody cared about them and so I felt like I could be there to care about them. It’s not an easy place to work and show you care, but if your firm and you’re fair, they’ll respect you.

After leaving the Juvenile Hall Mckeever decided to go back to Valley College where he received his Master’s degree.

McKeever was approached in a class one day by a professor asking students if they were interested in the McNair Scholars Program. The goal of the program is to increase the attainment of PhD degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.

McKeever adopted a similar goal at Pierce College. He organized the PhD club which meets a few times each semester to familiarize interested students about their journey.

Film major student Tyrome Walton II, is part of the club. He was approached in class after posting a writing assignment McKeever found interesting.

“He thought what I had to say was really interesting and went more in depth with me about the PhD program,” Walton said. “My mother always stressed the importance of education, but before I even met him getting a PhD was just never on my mind, but now I am really interested in getting one.”

Alexander Chesney is also apart of the club and wants to become a professor after he gets his PhD.

“I want to be a professor like McKeever,” Chesney said. “He activated my sense of understanding and helped me understand that the racial hierarchy is different in every location, and that location can be two miles away.”

McKeever has learned from his life and applies them to the classroom and in his life. He loves to give back to whoever crosses his path.

“When life was rough, focusing on other people’s lives kept me from focusing on my own and my own issues and problems,” McKeever said. “Now after going through counseling and having a better job, having a better life, having a great family, you know, now I feel like this is just something I really want to do because I love my community.”

Guitarist Hugo Nogueria and pianist Ekaterina Bessmeltseva create an instrumental one-two punch

the piano in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage.

Nogueira first walked on stage by himself to play four pieces that he explained are all from the 19th century.

were composed by classical guitarists from Argentina. The first song, “Milonga” by Jorge Cardoso and the second, “Verano Porteno” by Astor Piazzolla.

Nogueria sat on a stool while he read the music off a tablet.

As he sat and strummed his guitar, the musician filled the room with emotions through the compositions he played that were based on folk music and originated in South America.

Guitarist Dr. Hugo Nogueria has been playing since he was 11-years-old and he is currently teaching classical guitar at Pierce College. On Thursday, Oct. 3 he performed solo guitar and was then accompanied by his wife on

He has been performing in many states across the U.S. for the past few years and he is passionate about teaching what he loves.

“I’m very happy to be here and share this music with you all,” Nogueira said.

Nogueira won the 2011 American Guitar Society competition in Los Angeles, Calif. He attended three conservatories in Brazil and then received a Bachelor's degree in 2007 and a teaching credential in 2010.

The first two songs he performed

He was incredibly focused on his technique as he played the first two songs softly.

The next song, “Choro N1” was composed by a man from Brazil named Heitor Villa-Lobos. Nogueira picked up the pace with this next song as it had more emotional ups and downs while the beat was also faster.

The last song that was performed on solo guitar was, “Vals Venezolano N3” by Antonio Lauro who was from Venezuela. This piece was also more upbeat as Nogueira plucked the strings of the guitar at a much quicker pace than the first two songs.

Nogueira’s wife Ekaterina Bessmeltseva then joined him on stage to play piano while he continues to play guitar.

Bessmeltseva is a concert pianist and has been playing the piano since she was 6-years-old. She has mainly performed in North America, Europe and Russia. She is a soloist as well, but when she and her husband play together, they enjoy being chamber players.

Nogueira explained how they are able to keep up with each other and be on the same page while playing together.