Llana Samuel, News Editor
The fifth annual Clothing Closet, hosted by Career Services, saw one of their biggest turnouts in students. Over 40 volunteers assisted students with finding a free professional interview outfit during the two-day event in the student union ballrooms.
“There has been a 25-50% increase in student attendance since the 2013 Clothing Closet,” assistant director of Career Services, Crystal Goode said. This year’s event saw students lining up before the event started to score the best items for their closets.
“I know a lot of people who don’t have a suit in their closet,” freshman health science major Evian Mitchell said. There was a surprisingly high turnout from freshman students, proving that upperclassmen aren’t the only students trying to make a good first impression in the workforce.
Although many universities run similar Clothing Closet events, Armstrong’s Career Services department saw the opportunity to stand out from the crowd and focus on more than giving out free clothing to those who need it most.
“The staff of Career Services wanted there to be an educational component to the event as well,” said Goode of the event which included gift basket raffles, advice from Mary Kay representatives and tips for the men on how to tie a tie.
For the local Mary Kay makeup representatives, it was refreshing to see a university so invested in the success of their students:
“Students are so focused on what they need to do to be successful,” said Mary Dawson, one of three Mary Kay makeup representatives who offered free advice to students throughout the event. The representatives also gave students handouts with tips for perfecting their image before an interview.
Although they do not have a method for tracking donations yet, Career Services received several donations from local businesses, Armstrong employees and members of the community.
Goode has already mentioned adding additional things for future events. Students can stay updated on future events by visiting the career services website.
