The OU Career Center opened the Career Closet on Friday in collaboration with the OU Food Pantry.
Dozens of volunteers helped students with the registration and sorting process, while visitors searched racks of pantsuits and blazers for appropriate business attire.
Robin Huston, director of the OU Career Center, said the goal of the OU Career Closet is to provide students with the opportunity to obtain appropriate, professional clothing that will help them advance their future careers.
“Everyone needs professional attire,” Huston said. “Everyone who wants to apply for internships or full-time jobs.”
Huston said the Career Closet initiative grew out of a conversation with Matt Marks, campus support coordinator and food bank advisor, about the needs he sees among the students and staff who visit the food bank.
The OU Food Pantry began in 2017 as an initiative of the OU Student Government Association. Since then, the OU Food Pantry has been providing food and personal items to OU students in need. As a student-run initiative, its primary goal is to provide resources to the community to address food insecurity at OU.
The OU Career Center serves as a student resource for career planning and professional development. Together, the Career Center and Food Pantry work to provide career resources and clothing to all OU students.
As director of the Career Center, Huston often sees students dressed professionally, but not as they could be. Her goal is for OU students to have equal access to appropriate business attire for potential jobs and internships.
Rick Dubler, assistant director of the OU Career Center’s student engagement team, expressed hope that students will also take advantage of the Career Center’s other professional development services and resources.
“One of our goals is for this event to allow students to dress professionally for these types of professional events here on campus, no matter what type it is,” Dubler said. “We focus on job and internship fairs, but they can also have an event with a student group they’re part of, and that’s where these things would help them.”
Dubler said that in just over an hour, more than 100 students had already attended the event and selected uniforms. He expects that number to be much higher by the end of the event.
“It makes a huge difference in the community,” Dubler said. “It fills a huge need. And I’m just really proud of this event. It’s wonderful to see everyone coming by to buy professional clothing.”
The Career Closet will take place again on September 6th from 12pm to 5pm in the Food Pantry.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele.
