STUDENT DESIGNS CAREER IN FASHION WITH HELP FROM THE IMMOKALEE FOUNDATION

JON CANTU STUDIED FOR A WEEK AT THE ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF ART AND COMPLETED A THREE-WEEK PROGRAM AT THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

by Steven Kissinger

Jonathan Cantu was a junior in high school when he realized what career field he wanted to pursue – fashion– though how he would get there was a mystery.

“I had heard about all the good things The Immokalee Foundation had been doing in the community, for high school kids and figured it was worth a shot,” he said. So Cantu wrote a letter to the foundation about how much he wanted to attend a summer program at the Art Institute of Chicago to prepare for future in fashion.

That’s when doors began to open. Not only did he spend that summer in the program at the Art Institute of Chicago, Cantu also attended another at the Illinois Institute of Art. While working on body casting, painting, art history and fashion design, he created his own 10-piece designer garment collection and earned his first three college credits.

When he returned to Immokalee following that summer, Cantu said he couldn’t have made his dream come true without The Immokalee Foundation; he still says that today, even as his dream has grown.

“I had no idea how awesome The Immokalee Foundation really was,” he said then. “They truly want the best for Immokalee students, and they do everything and anything they can to better our futures and further our education. This opportunity has really changed my life, and I feel like this will provide me numerous opportunities in the future. ”

And it has. Cantu can even pinpoint the day when he thought he just might be able to make his dream of a fashion career come true. He had many firsts traveling to Chicago– plane, train and cab rides. “That was the point where I felt like I could do it,” he recalled recently. “Before that, I always had creative drive in me, but I never knew anyone who did fashion. And there was nothing in or around Immokalee to support that.”

The foundation helped connect him with fashion curricula, contacts and scholarships. While his parents’ dream was for him to go to college, neither had taken classes beyond high school. Money was tight as he and his three older siblings were growing up in Immokalee.

Because of those opened doors and his hard work, today Cantu is a fashion design graduate of Philadelphia University who has worked for Nautica, QVC and – at just 25 years old – is now an associate manager for Lilly Pulitzer’s Coconut Point location.

ONATHAN CANTU (RIGHT) AT TIF’S 2016 GRADUATION CEREMONY WITH ROLANDO AND BERENICE RAMIREZ (PARENTS) AND MIRANDA HERRERA (SISTER)

Cantu’s job combines his expertise in fashion with service to the community. He works with nonprofits in Lee and Collier counties on behalf of Lilly Pulitzer to organize Shop N’ Share sales, where guests are invited to shop on a certain day with a percentage of sales donated to a chosen service organization.

“It’s the biggest part of my job, and I find it very rewarding, “Cantu said. “It’s a very cool thing to be able to do. I reach out to organizations to try to get them the best event possible, and that is beneficial both to Lilly Pulitzer and the community.

“As a brand, Lilly Pulitzer is very charitable. One of the things she always said was, ‘If you don’t have any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble,’” Cantu said.

In fact, the company’s mission became very personal to Cantu in November, when he organized a Shop N’ Share and raised $860 for The Immokalee Foundation at Lilly Pulitzer’s Naples and Coconut Point stores.

Cantu now is a three-year board member and producer for the Fashion Industries Association, where he serves as an inspiration in his field. Just as important, he is an inspiration at home, as well. Watching her son go to college helped Cantu’s mother see her future differently: She went back to school and is now a nurse. His stepfather advanced in his career as well, becoming marketing director for a home health agency.

“They’re extremely proud of me,” Cantu said. It’s clear that he is proud of them, too.

The Immokalee Foundation provides a range of education programs that focus on building pathways to success through college and post-secondary preparation and support, mentoring and tutoring, opportunities for broadening experiences, and life skills development leading to economic independence.

To learn more about The Immokalee Foundation, volunteering as a career panel speaker or host, becoming a mentor, making a donation, including the foundation in your estate plans, or for additional information, call 239.430.9122 or visit www.immokaleefoundation.org.

Steven Kissinger, executive director of The Immokalee Foundation,can be reached at steven.kissinger@immokaleefoundation.org.