iMentor Chicago Volunteer John Falzone Honored with an All-Expense Paid Cruise Courtesy of Cabot Creamery Co-operative

CHICAGO, Sept. 9, 2019 – Chicago native and iMentor Chicago volunteer John Falzone will join dozens of other hard-working volunteers on an all-expense-paid cruise courtesy of Cabot Creamery Co-operative. Falzone will be recognized as a 2019 Community Celebrity by Cabot, the New England and New York farm-family owned dairy co-operative, as someone who makes a significant difference in his community.

“The Cabot farmers have a different perspective on what defines a true celebrity,” says Cabot CEO Ed Townley. “For them, the kind, giving souls who make a significant difference in their communities each and every day are the real celebrities. That’s why, in 2010, Cabot created the Community Celebrity Cruise; to honor the achievements and contributions of those hard-working volunteers, and to encourage more people and organizations to join us in applauding and recognizing their efforts.”

“Volunteering as a mentor has been such a meaningful experience to me. As a man of color, I believe it’s important for young men of color to see me doing something positive. I hope to inspire them to believe they can also be successful,” said Falzone. “I am honored to be named a 2019 Cabot Community Celebrity and look forward to being a part of this remarkable group of volunteers who strive to make their communities better for everyone.”

As an iMentor Chicago volunteer, Falzone serves as a mentor to a high school student in Chicago. He has worked closely with his mentee over a period of three years to support his educational and career plans, and has helped with everything from fine-tuning networking skills to working on college applications and essays.

A part of iMentor, a national college success organization serving first-generation college-goers, iMentor Chicago launched in 2015 and has since grown to serve nearly 1,300 students through four partner schools. iMentor Chicago matches every student in a school with a college-educated mentor who commits to the program for a minimum of three years, and provides a curriculum and staff support to help these mentoring relationships succeed.

“Relationships like the one that John has nurtured with his mentee give our young people a deeper well of knowledge and support to draw on as they strive to reach their dreams,” said iMentor Chicago Executive Director Jason Friedman. “We believe that college success is within reach for every student, and our work would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of thousands of mentors like John.”

The 2019 Community Celebrity Cruise sets sail from Boston on September 29, 2019, making stops in Portland, Bar Harbor, St. John and Halifax. This marks the seventh Community Celebrity Cruise; more than 200 volunteers have been honored thus far for making a positive impact on their communities. For more information, cabotcelebritycruise.com.

About iMentor

iMentor builds mentoring relationships that empower students from low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions. Launched in 1999 with 49 students in a single school in the South Bronx, today iMentor serves more than 9,600 students in 20 cities across the U.S., partnering with public high schools in communities in which a majority of students will be first-generation college graduates. Since 1999, iMentor has matched more than 33,000 students with mentors.”