Aubrey ISD grad sticks to goal in Duck Brand contest

By Abigail Allen

Editor & Publisher

       Isaac Cervantes is hoping being Stuck at Prom will be highly beneficial for him.

       He is a finalist in the 2024 contest in which he and four other tux creators and five dress creators are vying for scholarship money, and Isaac poured himself into the project in every way he could think of—his heritage, his love of music and his faith.

       "They make me who I am," he said.

       Isaac recruited the help of his family, including his mother, Judith Cervantes.

       Crafting with his mom is something he has always enjoyed, and constructing the tux was an extreme version of that hobby.

       "Every Sunday we would work on it," he said. "I did enjoy spending that time with my family that I usually don't spend with them."

       As the second of eight children, Isaac set a great example of goal-setting, planning and persistence, Judith said.

       "I also think it's a blessing that he's able to spend this time with them," she said.

       The back of the tux jacket features a monarch butterfly that on the left side reflects his American heritage with half of the Stars and Stripes and the right reflects his Mexican roots with half of la Bandera de Mexico.

       "[The monarch] doesn't just belong to one country," Judith said. "It belongs to both."

       She also mentioned that the buttons on the front of the jacket were constructed using an origami butterfly pattern.

       The recent Aubrey High School graduate plays clarinet and bass clarinet and is learning piano and trumpet, and that love of music is reflected in the mariachi look of the tux.

       Along the bottom edge of the jacket, the edges of the vest and the outside of the pants, Isaac included a Greek meander that features a repeating pattern of the cross, the fish and the dove to represent his Christian faith.

       "His Christianity, across both cultures, is highly important," Judith said.

       His hat, a white and silver sombrero that continues the monarch butterfly motif, features braiding work as well as some creative efforts to get the correct shape, with a cardboard core for the brim and a duct tape mold made from a real hat.

       He matched the charro bow tie and belt to the hat, maintaining the white and silver.

       He also included a red duct tape rose to complete the look.

       Isaac is hoping to earn money before heading to Austin College in Sherman in the fall.

       The top winners for the tux category and for the dress category will both win $15,000 cash scholarships, with the other eight earning a $1,000 cash scholarship and a Duck Brand Prize Pack, according to the website.

       In addition, there will be three special category prizes for Most Runway Worthy Prize for "the trendiest/most fashion-forward," Most Inspiring Prize and Trust E’s Choice Prize.

       Community voting ends on July 10, and each person can vote once daily.

      To cast a vote in the contest, visit duckbrand.com/stuck-at-prom/vote/tux.