MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 After nearly three decades serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, Scott McCartney faced a challenge he wasn\u2019t expecting: figuring out what came next.<\/p>\n
Leer en espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/p>\n The transition from a highly structured military career to civilian life was difficult for the married father of five. But with help from a South Florida veterans program, McCartney found a new mission \u2014 one that traded his military uniform for turntables and a classroom.<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Scott McCartney. Also known as DJ Smoove The Rough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Today, McCartney is sharing his passion for music with the next generation as a professor at Miami Dade College.<\/p>\n A difficult transition from military life<\/p>\n Before becoming DJ Smoove, McCartney spent nearly 30 years in the Coast Guard, with his service taking him around the world.<\/p>\n \u201cI went as far as Australia, Alaska. Many places in the states, Washington D.C., Florida, of course. Miami, here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n McCartney ultimately retired at the rank of commander.<\/p>\n \u201cI did very well in the Coast Guard,\u201d he said. \u201cI retired as an O5, which is a commander.\u201d<\/p>\n But retirement brought uncertainty. McCartney suddenly found himself without the structure of military life or a full-time salary.<\/p>\n \u201cMy family was behind me, but I really had a difficult time,\u201d McCartney said. \u201cI had a hard time.\u201d<\/p>\n Eventually, he realized he needed assistance navigating the transition.<\/p>\n \u201cI realized I needed help,\u201d he said. \u201cI needed help with the transition.\u201d<\/p>\n McCartney found that support through United Way Miami Mission United, which connects veterans and their families with free essential services.<\/p>\n Vanessa Benavides, vice president of community impact for United Way Miami, said McCartney initially came to the organization seeking employment assistance.<\/p>\n \u201cHe came to us specifically for employment services,\u201d Benavides said.<\/p>\n The organization helped McCartney strengthen his resume and rebuild his confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that helped open doors and opportunities for him,\u201d Benavides said.<\/p>\n From \u2018Commander McCartney\u2019 to \u2018Professor Smoove\u2019<\/p>\n One of those opportunities led McCartney to Miami Dade College.<\/p>\n There, he created a curriculum that became the first three-credit DJing college course in the nation, which he now teaches.<\/p>\n McCartney\u2019s military background still influences his teaching style.<\/p>\n Student Omar Sanchez Zelaya, who goes by \u201cMeezy Magic,\u201d said McCartney expects his students to be punctual and prepared.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is like DJ Boot Camp,\u201d Sanchez Zelaya joked.<\/p>\n McCartney admits it can sometimes be difficult to leave the commander behind when he enters the classroom.<\/p>\n \u201cMy wife always tells me, \u2018Tone it down, tone it down. Be more Professor Smoove than Commander McCartney,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For students like Amanda O\u2019Connor, who goes by \u201cSirene Clover,\u201d McCartney\u2019s class has helped uncover abilities she didn\u2019t realize she had.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think that I was musically inclined,\u201d O\u2019Connor said. \u201cTurns out that I am, and I learned that through this class.\u201d<\/p>\n Turning the highs and lows into something good<\/p>\n McCartney\u2019s journey has also included a commitment to education.<\/p>\n He holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in electrical engineering and two master\u2019s degrees, one in multimedia journalism and another in telecommunications management.<\/p>\n And he isn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n In September, McCartney is expected to earn his third master\u2019s degree, this time in music production.<\/p>\n After experiencing both the highs and lows that came with leaving the military and building a new career, McCartney now looks back on the journey with gratitude \u2014 and a nod to his DJ name.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s also been an enjoyable road,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd, it\u2019s also been a SMOOVE road. Smoove the Rough.\u201d<\/p>\n For McCartney, a difficult transition ultimately became an opportunity to find a new purpose \u2014 using music and education to help his students discover their own.<\/p>\n To donate:\u00a0If you\u2019d like to make a monetary donation toward a Good News South Florida story or project,\u00a0click here.<\/a>\u00a0Local 10 has established the Local 10 Fund with The Miami Foundation and 100% of your donation will go toward the cause you designate in the \u201cadditional information\u201d box.To volunteer or submit a story idea:\u00a0If you\u2019d like to volunteer for a Good News South Florida project or would like to submit a story for consideration, email\u00a0goodnews@local10.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Good News South Florida airs Fridays on the Local 10 morning news at 10 a.m. It will encore Fridays at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday mornings, beginning at 6 a.m.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 After nearly three decades serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, Scott McCartney faced a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377639,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-377638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}