Jaime Maldonado, 28, is an award winning graphic designer. He was among 600 artists from around the country who entered a national competition to design a Kleenox box for Hispanic Heritage Month that would express his 'hispanidad.'
Maldonado won the grand prize of $5,000 and now his Kleenox box design is everywhere, including at the institute of Puerto Rican arts and culture in Humboldt Park.
"I was very excited. My mom couldn't stop crying when I told her. I'm still in shock because…I've never won something this big before," said Jaime Maldonado, Jm Visual Designs.
Maldonado says the vibrant colors and images of his work depict celebration in the Latino culture.
"I wanted to celebrate our Hispanic heritage, our music, our beautiful culture," said Maldonado.
With the $5,000 winnings, he decided to open up his own design business. He already has a number of clients for his business.
Maldonado has entered other competitions. He won third place for his design of a car used for a horror film. And second place for this design was for a photo shop book.
Maldonado a past student of the International Design and Technology School has some advice for others who want to pursue their dreams and stay in school.
"There's a lot of true tutorials out there that you can find online that will help you out tremendously," said Maldonado.
