Episode Transcript
[00:00:12] Speaker A: Welcome to another episode of Kendall speaks. I'm Dr. Brian Stewart, Kendall campus president. And today we have a very special Kendall Speaks on Veterans Day. We're very honored to have with us Dr. Danai Montez. Great to have you with us. Who is our Director of Veteran and Military Services and served in the army, correct?
[00:00:29] Speaker B: Serves in the army, yes.
[00:00:30] Speaker A: All right. Also, we have two students with us today. Juan Palencio. Did I say that right? That's right, sir. And you also are an army vet, right, sir. Welcome. Glad to have you here today. And Clay Edwards.
[00:00:40] Speaker C: Yes, sir.
[00:00:41] Speaker A: A student also here at Miami Dade College, Kendall campus, right? Yes, sir. All right, glad to have you guys here. And I understand we have someone from the Homestead campus in our audience. Thank you all for your service. Glad to have you guys here. Dr. Montez, let's start with you. Talk a little bit about yourself and maybe your journey of how you got to Miami Dade College, Kendall campus.
[00:00:59] Speaker B: Oh, to Kendall campus specifically.
[00:01:00] Speaker A: Yeah, let's talk about Kendall. You can get to that point. You have to start with it.
[00:01:05] Speaker B: I came from north to Kendall about a little over 10 years ago, started working and transferred over to ERP right after we came into our new programming system, and then been in this position for about five years now as a Director of Veteran and Military Services.
[00:01:21] Speaker A: Well, we're glad to have you. Thank
[00:01:22] Speaker B: you.
[00:01:23] Speaker A: Juan, let's start with you. Tell us about your journey to Miami Dade College, if you would.
[00:01:27] Speaker D: So this is my first time in college. Actually, I came to Kendall right after the service. So as soon as I got out, I just wanted to do something else, just not sitting the couch in my house. So I just looked for the best opportunity, and then it was here in Kendall for what I'm looking forward. So that was. And
[00:01:46] Speaker A: what's your major? Do you have a major? I go
[00:01:47] Speaker D: in business.
[00:01:48] Speaker A: Business
[00:01:48] Speaker D: in transportation and logistics.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: Okay, that's good. Well, this is the home of the school of Business, so we're glad to have you here.
[00:01:53] Speaker D: That's why I'm here.
[00:01:54] Speaker A: All right, Clay, tell us about your journey to Miami College.
[00:01:58] Speaker C: So I started last year just like, my second semester. Well, my second year, and I joined, like, right out of service. So I got out of the military last year of May, and I think within like, a couple of months, I came straight to school.
Currently a business major, and I'm specializing in project management.
[00:02:17] Speaker A: Project management. All right, good. Glad to have you. Well, we'll stay with you. Talk a little bit about your military service. What made you get into the military and army, right yeah. And tell us a little bit about that experience and your time in, if you would.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: So I have family in the military now. Some of us are Air Force, and some of us are Navy. But I specifically joined the army because I generally liked the Army. I always used to watch, like, a lot of army movies back in the day when I was a kid. So I was like, I'm gonna go Army. So I joined Army. I served in Hawaii. I did four years in the Army. 25th ID is where I was at.
[00:02:50] Speaker A: All right, that's good. That's good. Juan, tell us about your service.
[00:02:53] Speaker D: So it was my dream. I was born in Colombia, and since I was in Colombia, I was watching a lot of movies, and I saw the Hombies, military vehicles, and I always wanted to see one in person. So I finished with high school here in Miami and then just went enlisted in the military. I served in the 82nd Division. I was a paratrooper, jump out of planes, and then did two tours in Africa and Afghanistan. And then I enlisted because it was my dream. So
[00:03:20] Speaker A: right before COVID I forget what branch was, but they were going to take different people in the community and jump out of an airplane. And so I had to train to do it. And then Covid happened and they canceled it. So I never got to jump out of an airplane.
[00:03:31] Speaker B: Oh, we got you, sir. We
[00:03:32] Speaker D: got you.
[00:03:33] Speaker B: We're going to get you. Now.
[00:03:34] Speaker A: Don't tell my wife that might.
[00:03:36] Speaker B: I won't. I promise.
[00:03:37] Speaker A: And I have to ask this for Paul over here. Since you both mentioned movies. What's your most popular army movie, if you had to name one or two?
[00:03:44] Speaker C: So it's not an army movie, but it's a Navy movie. Navy
[00:03:46] Speaker A: movie.
[00:03:46] Speaker C: Okay. It's called Antoine Fisher. Okay. My favorite one.
[00:03:49] Speaker A: Paul, you know that one. Okay.
[00:03:51] Speaker D: Navy movie. American Sniper.
[00:03:54] Speaker A: Yeah.
Yeah, That's a good movie. All right, Danai, let's hear about your military background. And
[00:03:59] Speaker B: I joined the army probably before a lot of people were born that are in this audience. It's gonna be 33 years on the 18th of November that I've been serving. I'm still in. I'm a reservist.
My unit is over in Puerto Rico. I am. I went from enlisted and I became an officer. So I'm currently a major up for lieutenant colonel. Hopefully my team and I will hear great news in the upcoming months.
But, yeah, I serve in Puerto Rico, the first embassy.
[00:04:27] Speaker A: Where did you do basic training?
[00:04:29] Speaker B: Fort Lost in the Woods. Oh, I mean Fort Leonard, Missouri.
[00:04:33] Speaker A: What about you guys?
[00:04:34] Speaker C: I was In South Carolina.
[00:04:35] Speaker D: Fort Jackson.
[00:04:36] Speaker B: What is that called?
[00:04:37] Speaker C: Fort Jackson.
[00:04:38] Speaker B: Relax in Jackson.
[00:04:39] Speaker D: Relax in Jackson. That's right.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: Well, that's great.
What inspired you to be in the military?
[00:04:47] Speaker B: My grandfather was in the military in Cuba, and I think that just always sat in the back of my mind. And then I married a sailor. Only made that mistake once.
I'm looking at my sailor over there, but yeah. And then I married a sailor, and I was around the community, and to be honest, they used to call me a dw, a dependent wife. And I'm like, nobody's dependent.
So I joined the Army Reserve. First we went to a Navy recruiter. Didn't like the answers we got. A couple of us joined together, and then we went to an army recruiter and really liked the answers we got there. And that's all she wrote.
[00:05:18] Speaker A: That's all she wrote. You guys didn't happen to watch the NFL yesterday, did you?
Yes. Indianapolis Colts were playing. Did you see that?
[00:05:25] Speaker B: Yes, I
[00:05:26] Speaker A: did. That was. Talk about that. That was a really amazing pregame.
[00:05:29] Speaker B: Yeah, but it wasn't just the Colts. Quite a few of them had the pregame. That are very awesome. Yes, yes, yes. I think around this time, the majority of the NFL does. And also like nascar. They do really nice tributes for Veterans Day.
[00:05:44] Speaker A: It was cool to see all of them around the field there. That was amazing. That was an awesome thing. I thought.
What inspired you? I know you said a parent, grandparent, but what about you? What inspired you, Clay?
[00:05:56] Speaker C: My cousin. My cousin was the one who inspired me to join the military.
He was in the Air Force before I decided to join. And I just seen how his life upgraded and all the places he went to. So I was like, I'm going to go to the military.
[00:06:09] Speaker A: What about you, Juan?
[00:06:11] Speaker D: Well, it was my dream in my uncle. My uncle was a Special Forces in Colombia and he used to jump out of plane. So I was like, sounds fun. So I did it here.
[00:06:19] Speaker A: How many planes you think you jumped out of?
[00:06:22] Speaker D: 5 different planes. And 35 times.
[00:06:24] Speaker A: 35 times
[00:06:26] Speaker D: 3 airplanes, 2 helicopters.
[00:06:27] Speaker A: Landing's always softer.
[00:06:29] Speaker D: No, it's not soft. It's never soft. Combat jumps. So you basically slam to the ground.
[00:06:34] Speaker A: Yeah. Wow. Wow. That's amazing.
What's one of the most memorable things, Clay, about your experience in the military?
[00:06:42] Speaker C: I think me joining was like the most memorable thing. Cause I had like a hard time of me getting into the military. And then like, I think the day that I passed the ASVAB and actually got to go in and experience everything. Was
[00:06:53] Speaker A: it a Ceremony that you went in or how did.
[00:06:56] Speaker C: So for me, I had like a hard time with the test itself. And I went through like a lot trying to join, plus, like, we're moving a lot during the part time. Me, like joining the military. So I'll probably say, like, that was like most memorable thing of, like, me being able to actually swear in and join the army.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: Yeah. Where were you sworn in?
[00:07:13] Speaker C: I was sworn in Atlanta, Georgia.
[00:07:14] Speaker A: Atlanta, Georgia.
Last week we had an event at the Padrone campus, and There were about eight or 10 folks that were sworn in at that moment. It was a very memorable ceremony. What about you, Juan? Where were you?
[00:07:26] Speaker D: For me, it was everything for me is airborne. Just love jumping out of planes. So it was the day, my graduation day. I thought I was never going to graduate because I got hurt on my third jump. You have to jump five times to qualify.
And on my third jump, there was an issue with the canopy. And then I dislocated my shoulder and my wrist. I free fall 17ft
[00:07:46] Speaker A: 7. Wow.
[00:07:47] Speaker D: So they, they were going to basically disqualify me. And then if you get dropped, you'll never get to go back in. And they recycle me for two weeks. I had to be in therapy for two weeks, then jump two more times, and then that was graduation day.
[00:08:01] Speaker A: Was his shoulder really ready after two weeks?
[00:08:03] Speaker D: It was ready.
[00:08:04] Speaker A: It was ready.
[00:08:06] Speaker B: According to the army, it was ready.
[00:08:08] Speaker D: He was ready.
[00:08:09] Speaker A: Deny. What was your most memorable. Some of your most memorable experiences?
[00:08:12] Speaker B: I remember in basic training when they played I Forgot his name, but when they played the song about America, it's Lee Greenwood. Lee Greenwood?
[00:08:22] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, that's it.
[00:08:24] Speaker B: Yes. When they played that. And I'm also an immigrant. I was born in Cuba and I came here when I was 8. So just knowing that I was part of the world's greatest army, like it was done in graduation day, that's probably one of the most memorable. But I've been in for such a long time, and I've created so many great memories, especially friends and friends that have become family and how we get along because we know who we are. We're family. No matter what the camaraderie is.
[00:08:49] Speaker A: You said it unspoken.
[00:08:51] Speaker B: There is. There is.
[00:08:52] Speaker A: What was the hardest thing in basic training?
[00:08:55] Speaker B: Running for me.
[00:08:56] Speaker A: Running.
[00:08:57] Speaker B: Oh, I'm not a runner.
[00:08:58] Speaker A: Yeah. How far did you have to run with
[00:09:00] Speaker B: Two miles.
[00:09:00] Speaker A: Like the. Oh, okay.
[00:09:02] Speaker B: But it was the two miles to pass the test. And I had a really hard time until I think it was one of the drill sergeants was like, do you want. So I know Juan used the term recycle, and we have a lot of terms and acronyms that are military. So recycle is when they send you back. Right. So they're like, do you want to be a recycle? And I was like, absolutely not. So aren't. So I did my best, and I passed a run. Doesn't matter by how much, but I passed. You passed. That's what matters.
[00:09:28] Speaker A: Gentlemen. What's the hardest? Oh,
[00:09:30] Speaker C: sleep deprivation. Oh, wow. Yeah, I think.
I think I stayed up, like, a whole week. No sleep.
No sleep, no shower for like, an entire week. Just going through basic. Yeah, that was probably the hardest thing
[00:09:43] Speaker D: for me was rock march. You just rock march. You walk for the
[00:09:47] Speaker B: rock
[00:09:47] Speaker D: for many hours with the 35 pounds. Oh,
[00:09:49] Speaker A: yeah.
[00:09:49] Speaker D: They say 35 pounds. Yeah. It's not actually that.
[00:09:52] Speaker C: 70.
[00:09:53] Speaker D: Yeah. And then you just walk and walk and walk this. You'll be done soon. You're never done.
[00:09:56] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Have you ever done the Murphy Challenge?
[00:10:00] Speaker D: No, I've never had.
[00:10:01] Speaker B: Yeah, well, we've done the Murphy Challenge here.
[00:10:03] Speaker C: I did it. Yeah. I did it twice.
[00:10:05] Speaker A: I've done it three times.
[00:10:06] Speaker B: I've done it twice. It is tough.
[00:10:07] Speaker A: It's tough.
Juan, let's start with you. What's the most important lesson you learned in your military service that you now can carry over into your Miami Dade college and future career?
[00:10:18] Speaker D: For me, it's leadership.
I think leadership's gonna help you everywhere you go. College here. I mean, we are a family. We are veterans.
But then each one of us has some type of leadership to show the other one how we do things, how we help people.
[00:10:34] Speaker B: Y' all need to speak up. I mean, use your. Use your military voice now. That's
[00:10:38] Speaker D: right, ma'. Am. All right. So, yeah, leadership. So I use that when I go to my house. I'm the head of my household, so I have to show my family what direction to take and how we do things the same here in the civilian world and the same in the military. Everywhere I go, I just show that I'm a leader, and that's going to stay with me forever. And that's one of the things that I carry with me everywhere and all the time.
[00:11:01] Speaker A: That's awesome. That's awesome. Clay.
[00:11:03] Speaker C: Mine is never stop learning, no matter what position you're in, probably say, just never stop learning, because somebody who's under leveled in you can teach you something that you've never known about. So mine is, like, just listening to everything, never being afraid of not being able to listen to somebody lower to you or higher to you?
[00:11:21] Speaker A: That's good. As the veteran.
[00:11:23] Speaker B: Resilience.
[00:11:24] Speaker A: Resilience. Good words out here.
[00:11:26] Speaker B: Yeah, resilience, definitely.
[00:11:29] Speaker A: Y' all are gonna laugh at me on this next question, but I'm gonna set it up. I'm from Texas, so you gotta understand where I come from. Have you ever seen the show Lioness?
[00:11:37] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:11:38] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:11:39] Speaker A: Gosh, I love that show.
[00:11:40] Speaker B: It's real. They're real. They are real. Lioness in the military. They are real.
[00:11:44] Speaker A: It is an amazing show. But my. My question is, what. What do you wish that people that aren't in the military, in the audience knew about the army in this case, that. That they don't. They don't really understand. I mean, we see it from movies. I really am happy that Linus is sort of real. It's real worried that it was not. But what do you wish people understood or knew?
[00:12:04] Speaker C: Mine would be the time period of, like, you not always being able to be there because you have duty first. So I'll probably say, like, you're not always gonna be able to be around your family 24 7. Like you would like to. So, like, there's gonna be Christmas times or Thanksgiving that you're not gonna be. Always be able to be present. Yeah. So I'll probably say, like the time period of, like, spending time with family, that's kinda depending on where you are in the world. It's gonna be like, non existent. Yeah,
[00:12:28] Speaker A: that's good.
[00:12:29] Speaker D: I say for some of us deployed, for people to understand, some of us has some type of reaction to different things. People sometimes look at the veterans and be like, why are you reacting like that?
I spent, I don't know, six, five months. Five, Six months in Afghanistan dealing with people.
So for civilians to be able to understand what we went through and we see things different sometimes.
[00:12:59] Speaker A: Dr. Montes, what do you wish people knew? Different
[00:13:01] Speaker B: being that I'm still serving and I do get to leave quite a bit. Jackie, if you don't mind putting up the Patriot Award. I put in my supervisor and my supervisor. Supervisor, supervisor. All the way up. You can show it to them. Open it.
I put in the college for what's something called a Patriot Award.
That one specifically for my supervisor, Dr. V.I. sososo. Because if it wasn't for the support that I got from here, and I've been working at the college way over 30 years, I couldn't do what I do.
Support is very important on all of our behalfs.
[00:13:36] Speaker A: Yeah, well. And I want to say how much we appreciate that you three spent the time to serve, because obviously we did, and you did, and that's amazing. What does Veterans Day mean to you?
[00:13:47] Speaker B: It's interesting that you asked that question, because for me, Veterans Day is every day.
I get the luxury of working with veterans every single day of my life that I work in this position. And I also work. I'm a reservist, so I have my team over in Puerto Rico. So for me, Veterans Day is every day. The fact that the country honors it and that the school itself honors it and gives us the attention that we don't necessarily get otherwise is also something very meaningful. So we do appreciate that.
[00:14:20] Speaker A: That's awesome, man. What does it mean to you?
[00:14:23] Speaker D: For me, just the people we. I mean, the people who served. Right. Veterans Days.
For you to. Well, for me to go out and join time with my fellow soldiers. Go eat. Remember how we used to eat together? Laugh, enjoy the time. And sometimes for some of us, I lost friends in service to remember the times that we were together. So that's. For me, Veterans Day.
[00:14:48] Speaker A: That's good.
[00:14:50] Speaker C: Mine would probably be support. That'll be the day. Like all veterans, if you served or you're still in, it's like, the time where we actually, like, get our main support that day. It's like, everything is, like, specifically about the veteran. So I would definitely say support is, like, a huge thing on Veterans Day. I feel like that's, like, the day where appreciation is, like, a really big thing.
[00:15:07] Speaker A: That's good. I know you gentlemen are younger than this side of the table. Not that I've cast this
[00:15:12] Speaker B: question. Not at all.
[00:15:13] Speaker A: Not at all. But how has Veterans Day changed? I know it was probably one thing before you got into service, and now it's different. Have you seen it changed in the last five years? I know post 919-11, it really changed. But have you seen any change in how we appreciate Veterans Day?
[00:15:31] Speaker C: So for me, I think, like, when I was serving, because I mind you, I just got out of the military. For me, I never got to really experience Veterans Day because on Veterans Day, I was always gone or I'm doing something. So, like, I was at work, so I couldn't really explore Veterans Day. But I feel like this time, it's, like, the first time I actually get to go out and actually get to do something on Veterans Day. So I can't really tell you exactly, but I'll tell you next time. That's
[00:15:54] Speaker A: okay. That's good. It is changing, though. That's the important thing.
[00:15:57] Speaker D: I'll say the same cause. This is my second time as a veteran actually enjoying the Veteran Day, so I don't know about it. That's
[00:16:04] Speaker A: good. So we'll turn to.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: No, I think September 11th, as you mentioned, did bring more attention to Veterans Day. I think when it happened in our own soil is very different than when it happens overseas. The effect, the feel is very different. And I think it highlighted how many of us have actually, you know, we're 1%.
We are 1% of Americans to join.
And so it has changed over time. I think after September 11th it brought us closer, I think it brought everyone closer, but in general it brought us closer and a lot of us decided to serve right after and they took that. So
[00:16:45] Speaker A: yeah, it's much like Covid, I think impacted healthcare.
[00:16:48] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:16:49] Speaker A: And that's a great answer.
What would any and either any of you guys jump in here? How can communities, especially colleges and universities recognize and support veterans based Better and Veterans Day just. And like you said, it's not only just Today, it's. It's 365 days a year.
[00:17:06] Speaker B: No. You're going to, you're going to pitch it to me, huh?
[00:17:08] Speaker C: Yes,
[00:17:09] Speaker D: ma'. Am, Please.
[00:17:10] Speaker C: I. You know what I think?
I al. I think like being in the military, you're kind of always around the same people 24 7. So it's like no matter how you feel about the next person next to you who's serving with you, you always have this thing of I'm going to see you tomorrow, I'm going to see you tomorrow. And then I feel like it's really different once the veteran or the person themselves leave the military. It's like you don't have that same commodity that you would have with a soldier versus a civilian. I feel like a place where all veterans come and just talk to each other. I feel like that's big for veterans because for me, I kind of struggle with talking to people after I got out because I just felt I couldn't relate to a lot of people outside of a veteran. I can actually hold a conversation with a veteran so because they will understand what I've been through being in the military. So I probably have a place where all veterans could just come and just relax and talk to each other.
[00:17:58] Speaker A: That's a great answer.
[00:17:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I think those spaces, those curated spaces for us, at least I know in our area and all of the campuses that we have a space you see where you walk in, the student, veteran slash military affiliated person walks in with heavy, like something heavy on their shoulders. And then once they walk in, they feel the sense of relief because they're with their people, no matter whether it's Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force. What's the other branch?
[00:18:24] Speaker D: Space Force,
[00:18:26] Speaker B: and a little bit of the Coast Guard, whoever it is. And we have these things, these games we play. Like, Henry over there, he's a Navy vet, and I always try to talk to him in a lingo that he understands with, like, bubbles, but he, you know, but we have this camaraderie where we can play around with each other and we understand. They didn't bring any crayons for you. They didn't know you were coming all the way from Homestead. We do apologize.
[00:18:49] Speaker A: He's smiling.
[00:18:51] Speaker B: These are all inside jokes.
[00:18:54] Speaker A: What message would you like to share with fellow veterans and those on active duty and still serving and their families that maybe you've learned? We'll start with you, Clay.
[00:19:02] Speaker C: So I'll definitely stick with, like, if you're a veteran and you're coming out of military, give yourself some time. I feel like in the military, it's always, go, go, go, go, go, go, go. It's never really time to, like, really sit back and understand, you know, and mellow out, because we're always on 10. But definitely learn how to give yourself, you know, time. And if you're. If you're serving, just hang in there. Keep going.
It gets better every day.
[00:19:26] Speaker D: I'll say it gets better for veterans and for guys that are too active duty.
I'll say that whenever you out, sometimes you struggle with, like, not knowing what to do.
Just hang in there because you'll have some opportunities open for you.
Just. Just hang tight and then look for them. But it gets better.
[00:19:45] Speaker A: Yeah, that's great.
[00:19:46] Speaker B: And it is okay to ask for help.
[00:19:48] Speaker D: It is okay to ask
[00:19:49] Speaker B: for help. It is okay to ask for help that does not make you weak. That makes you stronger.
[00:19:54] Speaker A: That's great. Any questions from the audience? Anyone like to ask anything?
Yes, sir. Dennis.
[00:20:00] Speaker E: Dr. Stewart, can I comment to your question about how Veterans Day has changed,
[00:20:04] Speaker A: please?
[00:20:05] Speaker E: I served in the Navy in the early to mid. Thank
[00:20:08] Speaker D: you for your service.
[00:20:09] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:20:09] Speaker E: During that time.
[00:20:10] Speaker A: Come up to a microphone, if you don't mind.
[00:20:12] Speaker D: Yes, sir.
[00:20:13] Speaker E: Just
[00:20:14] Speaker A: so we capture you,
[00:20:15] Speaker E: I had served in the Navy in the early 80s to the mid-80s, and during that time, the most recent conflict that was still kind of on the mental landscape in a lot of ways still was Vietnam. So a lot of earlier veterans days, there could be kind of a mood of sort of accusation, maybe a mood of resentment. Directed toward veterans. But that did begin to change. And across the 80s into the 90s, post my service, I began to see how it changed more toward a reconciliation, a more coming together to finally now for these great gentlemen, thank you for your service to appreciation and a greater empathy and understanding of what our veterans experience. So I think that's been the biggest change coming away from that idea of kind of maybe resenting or accusing veterans for their service to finally really appreciating veterans for their service.
[00:21:05] Speaker A: Yeah, I think that's a great point. I think it has changed over time and I think that's a great point. Dennis. Well, my last question, what would you say to someone, and I'll start with you. What would you say to someone that's maybe out there that's sort of on the verge of thinking of joining or curious about the military? What would you, what would you tell them?
[00:21:23] Speaker B: Join the Air Force.
[00:21:25] Speaker A: Not the Army.
[00:21:27] Speaker B: Not the army, everybody. I think all of us would probably say the same thing. Join the Air Force if you like air conditioning and good food. That is a common theme amongst all of us. When they are out in the field, they are in hotel rooms or air conditioned areas, whereas we're breathing in that hard air.
But any branch is a wonderful, I think if you decide to do it, do it,
[00:21:52] Speaker A: do it. Juan, what would you say?
[00:21:54] Speaker D: I'll say join. There's nothing better if you want to open doors for the future then having that title whenever you get out as a veteran. So I say join the military. And actually my brother is joining right now, so
[00:22:10] Speaker A: congratulations.
[00:22:10] Speaker D: You say John, it's fun. It gets fun.
[00:22:13] Speaker A: Clay,
[00:22:14] Speaker C: I would definitely say join. Oh, you get, it's, it's like, it's too much opportunity to just not join. Like you have, like your life changes once you join. You get to see the world. You get to meet like a ton of people. I've met people that I've never thought I would even talk to. I've been to Hawaii. I've been to North Carolina, South Carolina. I've been to a ton of places. So I got to travel and I got to like meet a different, like a wide variety of people in their culture and how things work. So if you're, if you trying to see the world as a young person, definitely do try, definitely do try to join because it's fire. I get to
[00:22:47] Speaker D: jump out of place as well.
[00:22:50] Speaker A: You mentioned Hawaii earlier, and my first thought is how beautiful a place is, is, but also how difficult a place it is. You know, Pearl harbor and all that. I mean, talk a little bit about Hawaii, if you would, because it's a. I know people have one image, but there's also the military image. Yeah.
[00:23:04] Speaker C: Honestly, when I was there, Hawaii. So if you In Florida, everybody knows how Florida people are. Right. And when you go to Hawaii, it's a complete culture shock. You would think, like, oh, people be rude to you, but like, no, like, people there, like, really nice to you. Like, it's crazy. Like, you. Your car can break down and like, 30 people will stop on the side of the road to help you get your car fixed. Hawaii is like a really loving place. Like, if you're trying to go somewhere and, like, really enjoy yourself, Hawaii is like the place to be. I liked Hawaii. It's just small. Like, it's really small. You can go.
You can go drive around the entire Hawaii in like an hour. But outside of that, the people and the place that they have over there, really nice. And they love the military there, you know.
[00:23:47] Speaker A: Well, that's great. Well, we like to end our broadcast by turning the microphone on me. And so you don't have to do this, but our very first broadcast was with our student government association. And out of the blue, they wanted to ask me a question. So if you'd like to ask me a question, we'll turn it on for you for a minute. Or if you don't, we don't have to. So
[00:24:05] Speaker B: how do you see yourself supporting our students, our veteran students, our military affiliated students?
[00:24:11] Speaker A: That's a great question.
I think, first of all, I think all of our students need support in their own specific ways. And I love what you said about a place where students can hang out. And I know Ms. Mateo's in the audience, and if we don't have the right place at Tikindle campus.
We do have the right place to campus. We
[00:24:28] Speaker B: do. Right underneath here, right below this floor.
[00:24:31] Speaker A: That's right, we do. I think that's an important thing. And anything I can do to help the transition, I would say would be where I think I could help.
You know, I never was in the military, but I did play athletics. And to me, there's some similarities that.
Not near as you guys. Yeah. But I think that's how I could help, and I'm certainly willing to.
[00:24:51] Speaker B: And you have. Thank you.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: Well, I want to thank our amazing guests. First, students Clay, Juan, thank you guys for being here, taking the time. Dr. Montes, thank you for your service to Miami Dade College, but all of your services here to our country.
Yeah, I want to thank Christina Saenz our writer, Paul Klein. Our head producer, Alex Bellows. Where are you, Alex? I know you're in the room. Thank you guys for helping make this broadcast and podcast so successful. And goodbye for now.
