A
s he goes into his third year as a carpentry apprentice, Lavonte Solid reflects on how he has beaten the odds. Making the transition from the streets of Chicago’s west side was difficult. But Lavonte found a way out. A graduate of Prosser High School, he once majored in auto mechanics.
“I have always entertained the thought of being a carpentwer. But at times it seems like it was something that was not meant to be,” he said. “I have always been good with my hands! My Grandmother used to always ask me to fix things around the house so it came naturally to me.”
After high school, Lavonte went to work for a couple of manufacturing companies where he learned how to repair the machines without the mechanic if they broke down. “You learn a lot of things working on the manufacturing line, especially how to be self-sufficient,” he said.
During his time in manufacturing, Solid enrolled in college. He attended Triton College in Melrose Park IL, where he obtained an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. “I was making minimum wage while in manufacturing, so I figured my chances of getting a higher paying opportunity would be better once I graduated,” he said. But a job did not manifest as quickly as he thought it would, and Lavontae began to take up other activities.
Not being able to procure employment the way he thought he would, Lavontae began to make very risky decisions to make money. Many of them were so risky that they eventually cost him his freedom and time away from his loved ones and friends.
Lavonte spent a year incarcerated. And while he was there, he thought about the decisions that led him to this point. “I have to admit that I was involved in some very nefarious things while in the street. I really regret that now,” he said, “I let a lot of people I love down, especially my child who I could not be there for.”
Incarceration was the turning point in Lavonte’s life. Upon his release, he was able to once again feel the warm embrace of his family. From there he made a vow to never again go back to prison, and he began rebuilding his life.
Lavonte enrolled in a special program for road construction called the T-Cart Initiative. This initiative was ran by the Illinois Department of Transportation. However, the program’s funding was cut by then-Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration, and Solid never obtained his certificate.
He returned to the manufacturing field where he worked for a box company and was an order selector for Coca-Cola. But after forging a friendship with the landlord of an apartment he was renting, Solid remembered that he always had an interest in remodeling homes.
“I was talking to him about how I always had the desire to do what he did, which was carpentry and remodeling homes. He then told me about Lafrancis Ivy of Communities Empowered through Construction (CEC).
“I called her up and made an appointment to come in and see her. Ms. Ivy was listening to me, but a lot of times they have to make sure you are the right fit for this opportunity. She crossed all of the T’s and dotted all of the I’s,” he added. “The real question she was asking was if I was ready! After the interview, she drug-tested me right away. I passed, and everything began to fall into place.” That was over two years ago.
These days, Lavonte often reflects on his challenges and how far he has come. A childhood friend who went through a similar experience and is now a computer technician feels the same way. “Man, we made it!” he said. “We came from standing on the corner together to now both having our separate careers with very bright futures ahead of us!”
When asked about how he thinks his mother and grandmother would react to his success and being on the cover of a industry magazine, a comforting smile appears on Lavonte’s face.
“My grandmother is no longer alive, but along with my mother who still is, they both would be super excited. She is going to show all of her friends, everyone!” he said. “My father is going to be proud of me too! He always tells me whenever I see him, how proud he is of me.”
Now married with three children, Lavonte plans to use construction to build generational wealth for himself and his family by buying and rehabbing buildings. When asked what advice can he’d give to those who have similar backgrounds and are interested in a career in construction, he says, “The key is to never give up! If this is what you really want, put your all into it!”
Congratulations Levonte Solid! You are this issue’s FACE of B/ACE.