June 2, 2025 • 26 mins
In this inspiring episode of RAMPLIFI, we sit down with the podcast’s first-ever veteran guest, Laurente Soliman 🇭🇹🎖️, a Haitian-born U.S. Army veteran who served 14 years in the military. With warmth, humor, and authenticity, Laurent shares her journey from childhood in Haiti to becoming a soldier in the United States. She opens up about Haitian culture, her love of traditional foods like fried plantains 🍌 and pumpkin soup 🎃, and the deep significance of January 1—Haitian Independence Day 🇭🇹. The conversation quickly moves into a heartfelt look at her life story: the moment a young Laurente was influenced to join the Army, the tragic loss of her father, her immigration journey to California, and the promise she made—to enlist the moment she received her green card. Laurente is now attending Victor Valley College 🎓, where she’s finishing up her education and preparing to start a career in Human Resources after graduation. Her story is a testament to courage, commitment, and the unbreakable spirit of someone determined to serve the country that gave her a new home.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
This is not my water, is it? I don't man?
Is it cure? No? Maybe this is mine? Hey, how's
it going? It's a new day, ramplify. The podcast still
still here. The powers that be here at Victor Valley
College either have not discovered the podcasts or have not
(00:32):
canceled us for reasons I do not know. So anyways,
I'm your host, Andrew Caravella. I am very excited about
today's host. It's our very first veteran on the show.
Very excited. Thank you for your service. Yeah, Nolrent. Is
that how we say your name?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yes? It is?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
What's your last name? But people say Solomon a lot?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Huh?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeslarent? What is that French? You have an accent? You
are not local? No, where are you from? Lorent?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I'm originally from Haiti. Let me. Yes, i was born
and reese there.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I have heard Akon say it different. How how else
do people say it around the world?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It it? Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
So the h is silent?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Okay? Is that the Is that like the proper way
to say it?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Does it mean something?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It means islands of pearls.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Island of pearls.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Yes, it was a native by the indigenous before it
was colonize and it was called what we call it
French lapel design.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Hmm, okay, what is the island the island dish there? Like,
what do you like if you go to Haiti? What
do you what do you eat there?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Well, we have different type of dish for different occasions.
For example, our Independence Day, which is Jane first, we
celebrated on the second as well.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Okay, wait, hold on, So while the rest of the
world is celebrating New Year's Day, you guys do Independence Day, yes, okay.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
And our dish national dish for that day is pumpkin
or squash soup that we made.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Every household made it the only way.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
But what I would like to say is if anyone
ever visit Haiti, go for the plantain called flee tie
is fry plantain fried sweet potatoes.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I love that stuff, the fry pork.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Okay, So someone's we have a diverse variety when it
comes to our dishes.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Does your Independence Day do fireworks? Is that a thing there?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
We don't really do fireworks.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
We just party, just party. Yes, music and beer, music
and beer. It sounds a lot like America on Independence Day.
Music beer probably different kinds of music, Yes, but beer,
that's a very universal thing, I guess. Okay, So pumpkin
and squash interesting okay, uh in your family, what are
(03:10):
like the types of spices that you put in in
those dishes.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Well, we use a mix of spices that we call
APIs and APIs we blend it with we got sweet peppers,
habanero peppers.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Oh okay, stuff that I will not be able to eat. Okay,
got you.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Well you can see you can season the meat with
it and you can use it to cook as well.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So you guys are island people, Yes, you mentioned pork.
I have I have family that are that are from
different islands, like Hawaiian stuff. They do things where like
they bury the pig is. Are those like traditions that
you guys do also in Haiti or No?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
For us it is different.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
But I know a lot of people like kind of
wear special in America where they don't see how the
pig is or any time of meat they have in
the supermarket is prepared. I've seen it and it's kind
of griesome, but I'm used to it.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Yeah, I guess I grew up doing that. My grandma
did it right, So yeah, okay, very cool. We got
a lot to get to with Lorentz. She is a veteran.
Like we said, you served in the US Army. How
many years? Fourteen years? Wow, you made a career out
of that. Almost She just said, yes, sir, did you
see that Haley's here? She said, sir. Yes, you never
(04:35):
called me sir. I wouldn't want you to call me sir.
That would I would say, stop doing that. Yeah, that
would be saying, that's so nice that you called me sir.
Though I feel like I have some authority around here.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Well you do.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Oh my gosh, you're so nice. I hope my boss
is seeing this right now. That would be great. So
we're gonna have a lot of fun with lorent We're
gonna we're gonna talk about her service, and we're gonna
we're gonna talk about how she made her way here
to America to serve in the United States Army. This
is gonna be a great show. So stick around. We'll
(05:10):
be right back in just a minute, and we are
back on Ramplify. The podcast brought to you by the
Victor Valley College Associated Student Body in the studio today,
was that a whoop? Haley the ASB president, Our sidekick
(05:34):
is here today, so she loves being here. She gets
she she really loves meeting and greeting all the students
on campus that she proudly represents. And then we have
our student worker Sierra here, she is photographing everything for us.
So it's it's great. We got a we got a
full crew here today. And then our star of the
our Lorent Solomon so Soliman. So I'm never gonna get
(05:57):
that right, but I'm gonna try. I'm gonna try. Okay. So,
I working in the marketing department, I'm always around campus,
mostly to get my steps in, but second to that,
I care and I really, you know, want to understand
who it is on campus. And some of the times
that I have, you know, walked into the Veteran Resource Center,
(06:23):
I've met Lorent and learning about your story, I feel
like it's very unique. It's not every day somebody leaves
Paradise or an island to come to the United States
of America to start over again. And when I heard
your story on how that came to be, why you
immigrated here, of all things, to join our army, I
(06:46):
felt very touched by your story because it started in
childhood for you yes. So instead of me telling the story,
I want to hear from your words why that all
came to be? What happened to you and Haiti that
you were inspired to come to America.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Well, it started, I would say probably when I was
seven or eight years old and the US Army I
don't know if it was the Reserve or National well,
probably the Reserve that came to Haiti at the time
to help with some political uprising we're having. And for
me and I was the first time ever I've ever
(07:24):
seen a woman behind a weapon, which was a fifty girl.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Which which I just learned is a very big MF gun.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Correct it is, yes, And for me, I know, And
were you I was probably seven or eight.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
A very young girl.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Oh yeah, definitely. And mind you, I should have been scared,
but I was all excited and I said, that's what
I wanted to do when I get older.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
You told me women, that's that's not a thing. Women
being soldiers in Haiti, that that that doesn't exist.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
No, it doesn't. It was mostly men. And you'll see
a woman probably in the police force. And I was
extremely rare as well. So for me, that is the
one thing I've dreamed.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
So you told your parents, Hey, like, look at that,
this is what I want to do. Yeah, what they say?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
My mom, Well, my dad was excited about it. He
was like, you're a girl, you know, go do it.
But he at the same time he was really happy
because I was his little shadow when I was a kid.
He will tack about his vehicle, taking care of it
every morning, and I was right along with him at.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Three o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
You're a tomboy, yes, through and through.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Until I was probably in my late twenties. I started
learning to wear makeup before I staped my eye.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
If it makes me feel better. In my late twenties,
I started learning how to wear makeup so but that's
because I was on television, so I had to learn that.
So uh probably stabbed my eye a couple of times too.
But yes, oh.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Yeah for me at that time, That's something I've always
wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I was always curious.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I will see marines, They'll have the weapons all serious,
and I will be a curious y'all. I will go
looking and they'll look at me, and I'll look at
them and we don't say anything. I just admiring it.
This is something I've always wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So what were the steps that you took, Like, was
it like googling things on the internet? Did you take
a trip to America? Like how did you start to
make the transition from Haiti to America to follow your dream?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Well, so, by the age of right before I turned fourteen,
in ninety six, I lost my dad.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Oh sorry, it is all right.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
So my older sister, she's she lives here in California,
and she had already done the process for us to
come to the States because of my dad passing, so
she had to read all the paperwork. So my mom
was the one who had to come in by herself.
And we live with our dad's sister for about two
(10:14):
three years, and my mom applied for us and we
came to the States and I was it was right
after nine to eleven when it happened. I was, to
be honest, I was furious. I was burning hot, and
I wanted to serve. The only problem is I didn't
speak English well, okay, So it took me about six
(10:38):
months to learn English, and it took me a while
because of my papers. I came on the type of
visa where you come in and wait for your residency
to get your interview and all that, So it took
me about six years after that. During my interview to
get my residency card, the interviewer ask me, once you
(11:01):
get your god, what would you do, and without avization,
I told him I was signed up in June the military,
and true to my word, I remember it was ironically
nine to eleven, two thousand and seven. I had my
interview in November two thousand and seven. I was in
(11:22):
the military.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
So nine to eleven, two thousand and one happens. You're angry,
you're motivated, I'm gonna do this. You finally learn English,
all the paperwork ducks in a row, get figured out,
and you join on September eleventh, two thousand and seven. Yeah,
that's that's what we call full circle.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Oh yeah, definitely for me, it was.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
It was very a full circle that day, all right,
and I was motivated to join.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
We're gonna take a quick time out and when we
come back, we're gonna we're gonna talk to laurent about
her journey when she got into the US Army. So
keep it locked. We will be right back and we
are back here with lorent On Ramplify of the podcast
(12:11):
second three, and we're getting we're getting to the nitty
gritty of her story. She immigrated here to the US
from Haiti all because she saw a badass woman on
the back of a hum vye with a fifty caliber
from the United States Army and that wasn't a thing
if you lived in Haiti when she was growing up
(12:33):
and came here nine to eleven happened. She joined the
military six years later on nine to eleven, learned English,
French was the native language on.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Haiti, French, and Creole.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Yeah, okay, so were you bilingual before?
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Well we had to learn English, French, Creole, Spanish, and
some schools still teach Latin.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
See this is what I'm talking about. In America, most
of us know English if we learned it in school.
But even then, like those younger generations and stuff, I
don't even understand some of that, Like what's skibbity, Like
I don't even know what that means, Like like ohio toilet,
I don't I don't know what that's Those are English words.
(13:19):
I just don't understand what that means. For me.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
It took me a while to learn a lot of
them as well, because it was like people say something,
I'm like, wait.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
What is that to me?
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Yeah, that's not that's not sense. So you you are
a mastery of several different languages.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Unfortunately, unfortunately that's cool.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I am jealous. I am jealous. So okay, uh, what
was boot camp like? Because okay, the dream right, I'm
gonna be in the US Army day one. They're yelling
in your face. I've seen the movies, right, like, was
it what you expected? Where you're like, yeah, this is it?
Keep yelling at me like you were ready? You embraced it?
(14:00):
Walk me through that.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I embraced it because I was very mindset. My mind
was set on learn my training. I know what's going
to deploy to Afghanistan at the time that the world
was still going.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
So for me, it was very focused.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
It's learned what I need to learn to survive and
come back.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I find immigrants that come to America in military is
no exception, but you are a prime example. I find
immigrants that come here that want to be American tend
to be more patriotic oftentimes than those that are born here.
So when you say that I embraced it, I was ready.
You know, send me in coach like you seem to
(14:44):
give off the vibe of more patriotism than some of
those that are born here. So it's it's refreshing to
hear that from you.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
But for me, at the time, I didn't know what
for patriotism. I mean, it wasn't you know, waving a flag.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
For me, it was that.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
And I wasn't even a citizen at the time, to
be honest, I didn't know. There's a lot of things
I didn't know. For me, it was just I wanted
to be in the military. I want to serve. And
I remember the day I told my mom that I
signed up for the army.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
She lost it.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
She lost it, and she called every member of the
family trying to talk me out of it. And I
would say for some people, I'm stubborn, but I would
say I'm determined.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Did you recognize in the moment that she did it
because she was scared or were you angry with her?
Because it's like, let me live my life, Like what
was going through your mind when she was being a Karen.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
She wasn't being a current and she was being a
mother Because at the time, when the war first started,
on the news every day every night, it was, you know,
soldiers being killed, So for that she was nervous for me.
I didn't see it that way. I will choose the
way I will die if I need to. And I
(16:08):
explained that to her. I'm like, I can be walking
on the street and get hit by a vehicle or
sleeping and get hit by a straight bullet.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
What was your specialty once you were because you went
to war? Yes, what was your what was your specialty?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Like?
Speaker 1 (16:22):
What were you what was your assignments when you were like?
What was your specialty? Were you with the fifty caliber
on the back of a humpy Oh?
Speaker 2 (16:29):
I learned all of that.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Definitely. I love different aspects of the weapons. I shot
expert at basic training.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Okay, and wow, so you are a badass.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I wouldn't say I was a badass. I just love it.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
But you okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, just
stop everything. You shot expert. But yet you wouldn't say
you're a badass. No, okay, well what would you call it?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
It was just determination I was saying for me when
I was the target in my mind was the enemy.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Yeah, that's badass. So I can't even shoot people on
call of duty like you know, don't laugh. Do not
laugh at me. I tried really hard on those games.
Try harder, try harder. So what what was but but
what was your like? What was your.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Like?
Speaker 1 (17:23):
What was your classification like? What?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
What did your job?
Speaker 1 (17:26):
What was your job when you were in war?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Well, I wanted to be an infantry.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
I wanted to and you were infantry.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
No I was not. I was a female at the time.
The army wasn't allowing women to come back, okay, and.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
What we call mo os.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
But I was put into logistics, so I work in
the warehouse mm hmm, getting parts, which I enjoyed doing
over the fourteen years I did.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
But you went to Afghanistan? Was there anywhere else that
you did tours?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I did in Iraq before I got out.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Okay, yeah, interesting. We are going to take a quick
time out and when we come back, we have some
other questions for Lorent and I think you're gonna want
to stick around for this one, so don't go away.
We will be right back. She's been doing this thing
between the breaks where she fans herself because she.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Is so oberwh.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
This is a lot of work right here, so we
have more coming up. Don't go We'll be right back
and we are back round four with Lorent. Yes, sir, hey,
does lorent mean something at all? Like? Why was that
(18:38):
the name picked for you when you were born?
Speaker 3 (18:40):
The funny thing is that my mom used to work
with nuns and one of the nuns gave me her name.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
She left it up to God. Is all right? Interesting?
You mentioned your sister earlier. A big family, a lot
of siblings.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Not really, I have I'm the black ship of the family.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
You're the black sheep of the family.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I'm the middle child.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Oh yeah, okay, I get that. Okay, I'm me too,
I'm the middle child. So when you say black sheet
middle child, does that mean like like traditional middle child,
you got the short end of the stick on everything.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Well, I would say I'm more on autodox. I'll go
the opposite way than my siblings.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Okay, so I don't you're the right hole breaker.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Definitely, I do opposite of everything.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
I love that. That's awesome. So aside from everything we've
talked about today, you know a little bit about your
life in the military. You are a student here at
the college. Yes, why did you choose after the military
to go to college? You know, here at Victor Valley College.
You know, you take advantage of our Veteran Resource Center,
but you know, obviously you lived a life, you know,
(19:47):
going to the military fourteen years. Again, thank you for
your service, but yet now you want to start a
new life. So tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Well, when I first get out, it was kind of difficult,
to be honest. When I got out the military, it
was under a medical discharge. I ended up having to
have surgeries to get my back fused. Jumping out of
airplanes will do that to you. Bad knees, bad back.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
I try and not jump out of a perfectly good airplane,
but that's just my choice. So yeah, why were you
jumping out of airplanes?
Speaker 3 (20:25):
I loved it, and I'm scared of height. I wanted
to conquer that fear.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Okay, so this was outside of the military that you
were doing this or no, it was okay, wait, okay,
hold on, hold on, do we need to extend the
podcast for this one? I thought you were just doing
the parts in the military. Okay, so you did that
in wartime. Was there something else that you were doing
in in the army.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Well, when I enlisted, I asked my recruiter to add
being an airborne paratrooper in my contract as well.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Okay, you should have led with that because I was
way cooler. Then hey, can you go get these this
part number over here in this warehouse. Jumping out of
an airplane totally totally would have led with that. Yeah,
oh my gosh, Like, what's the highest you've jumped?
Speaker 3 (21:17):
At school? We had to do about twelve hundred feet.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Oh, that's not too high when you.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Look at it.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
It doesn't look until you're coming down and you see.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
That's not too high and I'm like freaking out, she's
jumping out of airplane. I couldn't do that.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
When you're first learning to do that, it's kind of
worsome because the difference when you barely can see, you know, anyone,
is like they look like little sticks human for you.
So but as I do it, and I'm not gonna
say I got relaxed, because you have to be anxious
(21:59):
to do that. If you're not, then you're definitely gonna
make a mistake and it will cost you.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
I think it would create anxious or anxiety in me
as I'm doing it.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Well, yeah, that's the reason why we, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Get we anxious thinking about it right now.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
When we're in the airplane, we trash stock each other
just for that reason to you know, to prevent people
from being nervous. And it kind of helped because you're
not thinking about the airplane or you're.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
About to jump out of it.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Interesting. Okay, so you've you jumped out of airplanes. Okay,
all right, So going back to Victor Valley College after
jumping out of airplanes, uh with the US Army, you
decided to do something else for life. So so where
is your life taking you now that you decided to
come to college.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Well, I wanted to continue to logistics, but as I say,
because of physical limitation, I decided to try something and
still being able to contribute to the community.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Or to society as they say it.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
But I just didn't want to be sitting on a
couch and be collecting VA you know, disability check. And
I wanted to do something I know close to my
job but it's not physically demanding. So I go for
business administration and I want to do your many resources.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Okay, yeah, yeah, Well, you know, despite you know how
you feel, I think you are an excellent talker. She
was saying earlier. I like putting people on blasts. They
think when the cameras are turned off during the during
the commercial breaks, that we don't talk about stuff, but
we do. We still air the laundry. She was like,
(23:39):
I'm not a good public speaker, but actually I think
you're You're really good at people talking and stuff. So
when you say human resources, I could totally see you
having that, you know, face to face interpersonal communication with people.
One and Hailey said she seconds that, Yeah, No, you're
good with people. Plus you can talk like twenty three languages,
(24:00):
so I don't know, I lost count. However many you
said earlier that you said you could do. Okay, see
she just said something I don't know. You're gonna have
to make sure that was.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
In Portuguese, Brazilian, Portuguese.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Okay, what are the other languages you can say? Thank you?
And come?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
That's Hungu?
Speaker 1 (24:22):
What Hungu? That's a language?
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Well it's Korean, they call it hung Okay, it's the
same thing.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Dey Nada. I got that one day. Nada. That's that's Italian.
But you didn't even say you speak Italian.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
I wouldn't say I speak it. I just know the
basic of saying good morning, thank you and that's about
it pretty much.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Gosh, how do you how do you say it in creole?
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Messy?
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Messy?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Okay, well in English that means something else.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
It sounds like the foller, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Well, I mean messy. You don't if something is messy,
you definitely would not say thank you, like you'd say
clean that up? Now. How do you say it in French?
Me mercy? No, let me see, I can't do with
the role h messy. There you go, look at me,
(25:25):
look at me. I'm international now yeah. So uh, Laurent,
I want to say thank you so much for being
on the podcast today. If there's anybody out there who's
a veteran who has decided they want to they want
to pursue something else in life, like what is what's
the message for them? Like how do you tell them
(25:46):
to start over after completing one career? You know, like
like what like what's the words of encouragement for them?
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Just letting them know, you know, just because you that
that's one chapter of your life. I would say that's
a book that is closed. But it doesn't have to
be the end. Just start a new chapter. See what
it takes you. It doesn't have to be with school
right away, but search for yourself what you want to
do first, and decide on it and execute it.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
You're great, You are great. Thank you so much. We'll
see you guys next time right here on ramplify later later.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Ramplify. The podcast is filmed and recorded in Victorville, California.
This podcast is made possible with the support of the
Associated Student Body of Victor Valley College. The views and
opinions expressed in this production are those of the speakers
and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of
Victor Valley College or its affiliates. Ramplify is hosted by
Andrew Caravella, produced by Robert A.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Sewell.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Production crew includes officers of the Associated student Body of
twenty twenty four through twenty twenty five. If you'd like
more information about this podcast,
This is not my water, is it? I don't man?
Is it cure? No? Maybe this is mine? Hey, how's
it going? It's a new day, ramplify. The podcast still
still here. The powers that be here at Victor Valley
College either have not discovered the podcasts or have not
(00:32):
canceled us for reasons I do not know. So anyways,
I'm your host, Andrew Caravella. I am very excited about
today's host. It's our very first veteran on the show.
Very excited. Thank you for your service. Yeah, Nolrent. Is
that how we say your name?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yes? It is?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
What's your last name? But people say Solomon a lot?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Huh?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yeslarent? What is that French? You have an accent? You
are not local? No, where are you from? Lorent?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I'm originally from Haiti. Let me. Yes, i was born
and reese there.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I have heard Akon say it different. How how else
do people say it around the world?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It it? Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
So the h is silent?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Okay? Is that the Is that like the proper way
to say it?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Does it mean something?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It means islands of pearls.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Island of pearls.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Yes, it was a native by the indigenous before it
was colonize and it was called what we call it
French lapel design.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Hmm, okay, what is the island the island dish there? Like,
what do you like if you go to Haiti? What
do you what do you eat there?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Well, we have different type of dish for different occasions.
For example, our Independence Day, which is Jane first, we
celebrated on the second as well.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Okay, wait, hold on, So while the rest of the
world is celebrating New Year's Day, you guys do Independence Day, yes, okay.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
And our dish national dish for that day is pumpkin
or squash soup that we made.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Every household made it the only way.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
But what I would like to say is if anyone
ever visit Haiti, go for the plantain called flee tie
is fry plantain fried sweet potatoes.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I love that stuff, the fry pork.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Okay, So someone's we have a diverse variety when it
comes to our dishes.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Does your Independence Day do fireworks? Is that a thing there?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
We don't really do fireworks.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
We just party, just party. Yes, music and beer, music
and beer. It sounds a lot like America on Independence Day.
Music beer probably different kinds of music, Yes, but beer,
that's a very universal thing, I guess. Okay, So pumpkin
and squash interesting okay, uh in your family, what are
(03:10):
like the types of spices that you put in in
those dishes.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Well, we use a mix of spices that we call
APIs and APIs we blend it with we got sweet peppers,
habanero peppers.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Oh okay, stuff that I will not be able to eat. Okay,
got you.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Well you can see you can season the meat with
it and you can use it to cook as well.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So you guys are island people, Yes, you mentioned pork.
I have I have family that are that are from
different islands, like Hawaiian stuff. They do things where like
they bury the pig is. Are those like traditions that
you guys do also in Haiti or No?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
For us it is different.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
But I know a lot of people like kind of
wear special in America where they don't see how the
pig is or any time of meat they have in
the supermarket is prepared. I've seen it and it's kind
of griesome, but I'm used to it.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Yeah, I guess I grew up doing that. My grandma
did it right, So yeah, okay, very cool. We got
a lot to get to with Lorentz. She is a veteran.
Like we said, you served in the US Army. How
many years? Fourteen years? Wow, you made a career out
of that. Almost She just said, yes, sir, did you
see that Haley's here? She said, sir. Yes, you never
(04:35):
called me sir. I wouldn't want you to call me sir.
That would I would say, stop doing that. Yeah, that
would be saying, that's so nice that you called me sir.
Though I feel like I have some authority around here.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Well you do.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Oh my gosh, you're so nice. I hope my boss
is seeing this right now. That would be great. So
we're gonna have a lot of fun with lorent We're
gonna we're gonna talk about her service, and we're gonna
we're gonna talk about how she made her way here
to America to serve in the United States Army. This
is gonna be a great show. So stick around. We'll
(05:10):
be right back in just a minute, and we are
back on Ramplify. The podcast brought to you by the
Victor Valley College Associated Student Body in the studio today,
was that a whoop? Haley the ASB president, Our sidekick
(05:34):
is here today, so she loves being here. She gets
she she really loves meeting and greeting all the students
on campus that she proudly represents. And then we have
our student worker Sierra here, she is photographing everything for us.
So it's it's great. We got a we got a
full crew here today. And then our star of the
our Lorent Solomon so Soliman. So I'm never gonna get
(05:57):
that right, but I'm gonna try. I'm gonna try. Okay. So,
I working in the marketing department, I'm always around campus,
mostly to get my steps in, but second to that,
I care and I really, you know, want to understand
who it is on campus. And some of the times
that I have, you know, walked into the Veteran Resource Center,
(06:23):
I've met Lorent and learning about your story, I feel
like it's very unique. It's not every day somebody leaves
Paradise or an island to come to the United States
of America to start over again. And when I heard
your story on how that came to be, why you
immigrated here, of all things, to join our army, I
(06:46):
felt very touched by your story because it started in
childhood for you yes. So instead of me telling the story,
I want to hear from your words why that all
came to be? What happened to you and Haiti that
you were inspired to come to America.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Well, it started, I would say probably when I was
seven or eight years old and the US Army I
don't know if it was the Reserve or National well,
probably the Reserve that came to Haiti at the time
to help with some political uprising we're having. And for
me and I was the first time ever I've ever
(07:24):
seen a woman behind a weapon, which was a fifty girl.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Which which I just learned is a very big MF gun.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Correct it is, yes, And for me, I know, And
were you I was probably seven or eight.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
A very young girl.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Oh yeah, definitely. And mind you, I should have been scared,
but I was all excited and I said, that's what
I wanted to do when I get older.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
You told me women, that's that's not a thing. Women
being soldiers in Haiti, that that that doesn't exist.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
No, it doesn't. It was mostly men. And you'll see
a woman probably in the police force. And I was
extremely rare as well. So for me, that is the
one thing I've dreamed.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
So you told your parents, Hey, like, look at that,
this is what I want to do. Yeah, what they say?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
My mom, Well, my dad was excited about it. He
was like, you're a girl, you know, go do it.
But he at the same time he was really happy
because I was his little shadow when I was a kid.
He will tack about his vehicle, taking care of it
every morning, and I was right along with him at.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Three o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
You're a tomboy, yes, through and through.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Until I was probably in my late twenties. I started
learning to wear makeup before I staped my eye.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
If it makes me feel better. In my late twenties,
I started learning how to wear makeup so but that's
because I was on television, so I had to learn that.
So uh probably stabbed my eye a couple of times too.
But yes, oh.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Yeah for me at that time, That's something I've always
wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I was always curious.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I will see marines, They'll have the weapons all serious,
and I will be a curious y'all. I will go
looking and they'll look at me, and I'll look at
them and we don't say anything. I just admiring it.
This is something I've always wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So what were the steps that you took, Like, was
it like googling things on the internet? Did you take
a trip to America? Like how did you start to
make the transition from Haiti to America to follow your dream?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Well, so, by the age of right before I turned fourteen,
in ninety six, I lost my dad.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Oh sorry, it is all right.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
So my older sister, she's she lives here in California,
and she had already done the process for us to
come to the States because of my dad passing, so
she had to read all the paperwork. So my mom
was the one who had to come in by herself.
And we live with our dad's sister for about two
(10:14):
three years, and my mom applied for us and we
came to the States and I was it was right
after nine to eleven when it happened. I was, to
be honest, I was furious. I was burning hot, and
I wanted to serve. The only problem is I didn't
speak English well, okay, So it took me about six
(10:38):
months to learn English, and it took me a while
because of my papers. I came on the type of
visa where you come in and wait for your residency
to get your interview and all that, So it took
me about six years after that. During my interview to
get my residency card, the interviewer ask me, once you
(11:01):
get your god, what would you do, and without avization,
I told him I was signed up in June the military,
and true to my word, I remember it was ironically
nine to eleven, two thousand and seven. I had my
interview in November two thousand and seven. I was in
(11:22):
the military.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
So nine to eleven, two thousand and one happens. You're angry,
you're motivated, I'm gonna do this. You finally learn English,
all the paperwork ducks in a row, get figured out,
and you join on September eleventh, two thousand and seven. Yeah,
that's that's what we call full circle.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Oh yeah, definitely for me, it was.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
It was very a full circle that day, all right,
and I was motivated to join.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
We're gonna take a quick time out and when we
come back, we're gonna we're gonna talk to laurent about
her journey when she got into the US Army. So
keep it locked. We will be right back and we
are back here with lorent On Ramplify of the podcast
(12:11):
second three, and we're getting we're getting to the nitty
gritty of her story. She immigrated here to the US
from Haiti all because she saw a badass woman on
the back of a hum vye with a fifty caliber
from the United States Army and that wasn't a thing
if you lived in Haiti when she was growing up
(12:33):
and came here nine to eleven happened. She joined the
military six years later on nine to eleven, learned English,
French was the native language on.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Haiti, French, and Creole.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Yeah, okay, so were you bilingual before?
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Well we had to learn English, French, Creole, Spanish, and
some schools still teach Latin.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
See this is what I'm talking about. In America, most
of us know English if we learned it in school.
But even then, like those younger generations and stuff, I
don't even understand some of that, Like what's skibbity, Like
I don't even know what that means, Like like ohio toilet,
I don't I don't know what that's Those are English words.
(13:19):
I just don't understand what that means. For me.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
It took me a while to learn a lot of
them as well, because it was like people say something,
I'm like, wait.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
What is that to me?
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Yeah, that's not that's not sense. So you you are
a mastery of several different languages.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Unfortunately, unfortunately that's cool.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I am jealous. I am jealous. So okay, uh, what
was boot camp like? Because okay, the dream right, I'm
gonna be in the US Army day one. They're yelling
in your face. I've seen the movies, right, like, was
it what you expected? Where you're like, yeah, this is it?
Keep yelling at me like you were ready? You embraced it?
(14:00):
Walk me through that.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I embraced it because I was very mindset. My mind
was set on learn my training. I know what's going
to deploy to Afghanistan at the time that the world
was still going.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
So for me, it was very focused.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
It's learned what I need to learn to survive and
come back.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I find immigrants that come to America in military is
no exception, but you are a prime example. I find
immigrants that come here that want to be American tend
to be more patriotic oftentimes than those that are born here.
So when you say that I embraced it, I was ready.
You know, send me in coach like you seem to
(14:44):
give off the vibe of more patriotism than some of
those that are born here. So it's it's refreshing to
hear that from you.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
But for me, at the time, I didn't know what
for patriotism. I mean, it wasn't you know, waving a flag.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
For me, it was that.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
And I wasn't even a citizen at the time, to
be honest, I didn't know. There's a lot of things
I didn't know. For me, it was just I wanted
to be in the military. I want to serve. And
I remember the day I told my mom that I
signed up for the army.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
She lost it.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
She lost it, and she called every member of the
family trying to talk me out of it. And I
would say for some people, I'm stubborn, but I would
say I'm determined.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Did you recognize in the moment that she did it
because she was scared or were you angry with her?
Because it's like, let me live my life, Like what
was going through your mind when she was being a Karen.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
She wasn't being a current and she was being a
mother Because at the time, when the war first started,
on the news every day every night, it was, you know,
soldiers being killed, So for that she was nervous for me.
I didn't see it that way. I will choose the
way I will die if I need to. And I
(16:08):
explained that to her. I'm like, I can be walking
on the street and get hit by a vehicle or
sleeping and get hit by a straight bullet.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
What was your specialty once you were because you went
to war? Yes, what was your what was your specialty?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Like?
Speaker 1 (16:22):
What were you what was your assignments when you were like?
What was your specialty? Were you with the fifty caliber
on the back of a humpy Oh?
Speaker 2 (16:29):
I learned all of that.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Definitely. I love different aspects of the weapons. I shot
expert at basic training.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Okay, and wow, so you are a badass.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I wouldn't say I was a badass. I just love it.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
But you okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, just
stop everything. You shot expert. But yet you wouldn't say
you're a badass. No, okay, well what would you call it?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
It was just determination I was saying for me when
I was the target in my mind was the enemy.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Yeah, that's badass. So I can't even shoot people on
call of duty like you know, don't laugh. Do not
laugh at me. I tried really hard on those games.
Try harder, try harder. So what what was but but
what was your like? What was your.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Like?
Speaker 1 (17:23):
What was your classification like? What?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
What did your job?
Speaker 1 (17:26):
What was your job when you were in war?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Well, I wanted to be an infantry.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
I wanted to and you were infantry.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
No I was not. I was a female at the time.
The army wasn't allowing women to come back, okay, and.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
What we call mo os.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
But I was put into logistics, so I work in
the warehouse mm hmm, getting parts, which I enjoyed doing
over the fourteen years I did.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
But you went to Afghanistan? Was there anywhere else that
you did tours?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I did in Iraq before I got out.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Okay, yeah, interesting. We are going to take a quick
time out and when we come back, we have some
other questions for Lorent and I think you're gonna want
to stick around for this one, so don't go away.
We will be right back. She's been doing this thing
between the breaks where she fans herself because she.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Is so oberwh.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
This is a lot of work right here, so we
have more coming up. Don't go We'll be right back
and we are back round four with Lorent. Yes, sir, hey,
does lorent mean something at all? Like? Why was that
(18:38):
the name picked for you when you were born?
Speaker 3 (18:40):
The funny thing is that my mom used to work
with nuns and one of the nuns gave me her name.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
She left it up to God. Is all right? Interesting?
You mentioned your sister earlier. A big family, a lot
of siblings.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Not really, I have I'm the black ship of the family.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
You're the black sheep of the family.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I'm the middle child.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Oh yeah, okay, I get that. Okay, I'm me too,
I'm the middle child. So when you say black sheet
middle child, does that mean like like traditional middle child,
you got the short end of the stick on everything.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Well, I would say I'm more on autodox. I'll go
the opposite way than my siblings.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Okay, so I don't you're the right hole breaker.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Definitely, I do opposite of everything.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
I love that. That's awesome. So aside from everything we've
talked about today, you know a little bit about your
life in the military. You are a student here at
the college. Yes, why did you choose after the military
to go to college? You know, here at Victor Valley College.
You know, you take advantage of our Veteran Resource Center,
but you know, obviously you lived a life, you know,
(19:47):
going to the military fourteen years. Again, thank you for
your service, but yet now you want to start a
new life. So tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Well, when I first get out, it was kind of difficult,
to be honest. When I got out the military, it
was under a medical discharge. I ended up having to
have surgeries to get my back fused. Jumping out of
airplanes will do that to you. Bad knees, bad back.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
I try and not jump out of a perfectly good airplane,
but that's just my choice. So yeah, why were you
jumping out of airplanes?
Speaker 3 (20:25):
I loved it, and I'm scared of height. I wanted
to conquer that fear.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Okay, so this was outside of the military that you
were doing this or no, it was okay, wait, okay,
hold on, hold on, do we need to extend the
podcast for this one? I thought you were just doing
the parts in the military. Okay, so you did that
in wartime. Was there something else that you were doing
in in the army.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Well, when I enlisted, I asked my recruiter to add
being an airborne paratrooper in my contract as well.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Okay, you should have led with that because I was
way cooler. Then hey, can you go get these this
part number over here in this warehouse. Jumping out of
an airplane totally totally would have led with that. Yeah,
oh my gosh, Like, what's the highest you've jumped?
Speaker 3 (21:17):
At school? We had to do about twelve hundred feet.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Oh, that's not too high when you.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Look at it.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
It doesn't look until you're coming down and you see.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
That's not too high and I'm like freaking out, she's
jumping out of airplane. I couldn't do that.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
When you're first learning to do that, it's kind of
worsome because the difference when you barely can see, you know, anyone,
is like they look like little sticks human for you.
So but as I do it, and I'm not gonna
say I got relaxed, because you have to be anxious
(21:59):
to do that. If you're not, then you're definitely gonna
make a mistake and it will cost you.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
I think it would create anxious or anxiety in me
as I'm doing it.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Well, yeah, that's the reason why we, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Get we anxious thinking about it right now.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
When we're in the airplane, we trash stock each other
just for that reason to you know, to prevent people
from being nervous. And it kind of helped because you're
not thinking about the airplane or you're.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
About to jump out of it.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Interesting. Okay, so you've you jumped out of airplanes. Okay,
all right, So going back to Victor Valley College after
jumping out of airplanes, uh with the US Army, you
decided to do something else for life. So so where
is your life taking you now that you decided to
come to college.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Well, I wanted to continue to logistics, but as I say,
because of physical limitation, I decided to try something and
still being able to contribute to the community.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Or to society as they say it.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
But I just didn't want to be sitting on a
couch and be collecting VA you know, disability check. And
I wanted to do something I know close to my
job but it's not physically demanding. So I go for
business administration and I want to do your many resources.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Okay, yeah, yeah, Well, you know, despite you know how
you feel, I think you are an excellent talker. She
was saying earlier. I like putting people on blasts. They
think when the cameras are turned off during the during
the commercial breaks, that we don't talk about stuff, but
we do. We still air the laundry. She was like,
(23:39):
I'm not a good public speaker, but actually I think
you're You're really good at people talking and stuff. So
when you say human resources, I could totally see you
having that, you know, face to face interpersonal communication with people.
One and Hailey said she seconds that, Yeah, No, you're
good with people. Plus you can talk like twenty three languages,
(24:00):
so I don't know, I lost count. However many you
said earlier that you said you could do. Okay, see
she just said something I don't know. You're gonna have
to make sure that was.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
In Portuguese, Brazilian, Portuguese.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Okay, what are the other languages you can say? Thank you?
And come?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
That's Hungu?
Speaker 1 (24:22):
What Hungu? That's a language?
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Well it's Korean, they call it hung Okay, it's the
same thing.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Dey Nada. I got that one day. Nada. That's that's Italian.
But you didn't even say you speak Italian.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
I wouldn't say I speak it. I just know the
basic of saying good morning, thank you and that's about
it pretty much.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Gosh, how do you how do you say it in creole?
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Messy?
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Messy?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Okay, well in English that means something else.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
It sounds like the foller, yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Well, I mean messy. You don't if something is messy,
you definitely would not say thank you, like you'd say
clean that up? Now. How do you say it in French?
Me mercy? No, let me see, I can't do with
the role h messy. There you go, look at me,
(25:25):
look at me. I'm international now yeah. So uh, Laurent,
I want to say thank you so much for being
on the podcast today. If there's anybody out there who's
a veteran who has decided they want to they want
to pursue something else in life, like what is what's
the message for them? Like how do you tell them
(25:46):
to start over after completing one career? You know, like
like what like what's the words of encouragement for them?
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Just letting them know, you know, just because you that
that's one chapter of your life. I would say that's
a book that is closed. But it doesn't have to
be the end. Just start a new chapter. See what
it takes you. It doesn't have to be with school
right away, but search for yourself what you want to
do first, and decide on it and execute it.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
You're great, You are great. Thank you so much. We'll
see you guys next time right here on ramplify later later.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Ramplify. The podcast is filmed and recorded in Victorville, California.
This podcast is made possible with the support of the
Associated Student Body of Victor Valley College. The views and
opinions expressed in this production are those of the speakers
and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of
Victor Valley College or its affiliates. Ramplify is hosted by
Andrew Caravella, produced by Robert A.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Sewell.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Production crew includes officers of the Associated student Body of
twenty twenty four through twenty twenty five. If you'd like
more information about this podcast,
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