The OU Career Center debuted the Career Closet on Friday in partnership with the OU Food Pantry.
Dozens of volunteers assisted students in the sign-in and sorting process as visitors looked through racks of pantsuits and blazers in search of proper 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 access appropriate, professional clothing to help further their future careers.
“Everybody needs professional dress,” Huston said. “Anybody who's looking to start interviewing for internships or full-time jobs.”
Huston said the Career Closet began from a conversation with Matt Marks, campus care coordinator and assistant director of the Food Pantry, about the need he sees from the students and staff coming to the food pantry.
The OU Food Pantry began in 2017 as an initiative with OU’s Student Government Association. Since then, the OU Food Pantry has provided food and personal items to OU students in need. As a student-run initiative, its main objective is to provide the community with resources to combat food insecurity at OU.
The OU Career Center functions as a student resource for career planning and professional development. Together, the Career Center and Food Pantry are working to provide professional resources and clothes to all OU students.
As director of the Career Center, Huston said she often sees students who are dressed professionally, but not to the degree they could be. Her goal is to see OU students gain equal access to appropriate business clothing for potential jobs and internships.
Rick Dubler, associate director of the OU Career Center’s student engagement team, said he hopes students will also take advantage of the Career Center’s other services and professional development resources.
“One of our goals is that this event allows students to get professional dress for those types of professional events here on campus, whatever they might be,” Dubler said. “We're focused on job and internship fairs, but they may have an event with a student group that they belong to where these items would help them.”
Dubler said that in just over an hour, over 100 students had already visited the event and picked out professional clothing. He said he expects that number to be much higher by the time the event is over.
“It's making a huge difference in the community,” Dubler said. “It's filling a huge need. And I'm just really proud of this event. It’s wonderful to see everyone stop by to get some professional clothes.”
The Career Closet will return from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 6 at the Food Pantry.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele.
