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April 29, 2008
By Tony Coccagna, Gazette Sports Editor When Keenan Holmes was a student at IUP, his goals included winning championships as a basketball player, becoming a lawyer, working for charity and starting his own business. His life is right on track. Holmes starred in basketball, helping guide IUP to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and NCAA Division II East Region championships in 2002. He went on to law school at Pitt and practices law at Eckert Seamans Cherin and Mellott LLC, a firm in Pittsburgh. He also is an emerging entrepreneur, starting three businesses. Among his vast charitable works, Holmes founded Rising Stars, a program aimed at teaching inner-city youths that it's "cool to do well in school." For his contributions to society, Holmes was recognized Saturday night during the IUP Legacy Gala, a function billed as a salute to the university's pre-eminent regional achievers, at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. He received the Presidential Legacy Award for Civic Service. "It's unexpected," Holmes said, "but I'm thankful for it. I really try to lead by example and give my kids something to look up to, so from that perspective it feels good, but I'm already looking ahead and planning the next thing. I'm happy about where I am now and where I'm going. I'm thankful to IUP for this recognition, and I'm just excited for what's to come." Holmes is involved in many charitable activities, but it is Rising Stars and Sunlight of the Spirit that are closest to his heart. Rising Stars seeks to connect 150 to 200 city kids with mentors and recognizes the top 25 for outstanding, well-rounded achievement. A goal of the program is to help students get internships with local companies to form relationships that will keep talented individuals in the region. "I always got recognition for being a good basketball player," Holmes said, "and people wanted to talk to me for that reason. Nobody ever wanted to talk to me about doing well in school, and that's something I wanted to change. I really wanted to make it cool and wanted to recognize those kids and give them professional mentors to look up to as role models. I really get a kick out of talking to kids." Spirit of the Sunlight focuses on families that have been affected by drug, alcohol and gambling addictions. "It's focused not on drug addicts or alcoholics but their families," Holmes said. "I had an uncle murdered because he was involved in drugs, and I saw what can happen to families when someone is involved with drugs." Holmes also is the founder of Senior Suite, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing nonmedical services to senior citizens. It is service to the community, not his accomplishments as an attorney or a basketball player, for which Holmes wants to be remembered. "I want to be great and live forever," he said. "I honestly believe true greatness comes from being a servant to people. There's one sure way to be successful, and that's by helping other people. When I say I want to live forever, I want to have an impact on peoples' lives so when I'm long gone people can say I had an impact in some way. If I can change one life, then I've done my job." Holmes' business ventures include Suite Sixty Three Ltd, a professional lifestyle-enhancement company, and Simon Jakes, a word art company with customized greeting cards, poetry and original artwork. Holmes credits his training at IUP's Robert C. Cook Honors College with preparing him to become an entrepreneur. "I have to credit the honors college," he said. "It forces you to think outside the box and change things as you know them and be very creative, and that's what I'm trying to do with these business models." A native of Richmond, Va., Holmes came to IUP as a transfer from Rice and played under former coach Gary Edwards. The sixth man on the 2002 championship team, he scored the go-ahead points with about 30 seconds remaining in the victory in the regional title game. A year earlier, he became one of only seven players in school history to score at least 40 points in a game. He had to leave the team with a tearful goodbye late in his senior season when bad knees kept him from playing close to his potential. "I think there are two things IUP prepared me for," Holmes aid. "I will always be a competitor. What I found in the business world is competitors are usually those people who are successful, not only financially, but people you go to for advice. In basketball, you have to work hard and sacrifice, and it's the same in business. Before I went into court I had to practice, I had to prepare, and that's how basketball prepared me for what I'm doing now." There are two things he cherishes from basketball. "I remember the relationships," he said. "I remember the times at the apartment, on the road together, hanging out and getting to know each other. One thing I will never forget is playing for the regional championship. I kind of had a rough season, but with the game on the line, Coach gave me the ball and said, 'Keenan, just go.' Until this day I use that as an example in business proposals. I'd always been a starter, but I didn't need my name called at the beginning of the game, I wanted the ball in my hands at the end of the game. I'm a finisher. Coach Edwards always believed in me, and to have another person trust and believe in you when the game's on the line, that means a lot. And being able to deliver, that just takes it to the next level. "I look back, and my mentality hasn't changed. I remember a kid who had no idea what the world had in store for him, who cried when he had to quit playing basketball, who had no idea what it was like to pay the bills. I'm still the same guy in terms of competitiveness, but I've grown so much." |
