In order to better serve its students, the Pearl River Community College Bookstore is establishing a Career Closet in time for the fall semester.
Director of Bookstore Services at PRCC Candace Harper said a growing need for professional clothes so students can attend job and college interviews as well as other professional events prompted her to open the free resource to all students.
Right now, the bookstore is accepting donations of gently worn professional clothes for male and female students, as well as belts, ties and dress shoes.
Retiring PRCC President Dr. William Lewis also donated some of his gently used suits to the closet earlier this week, Harper said.
The closet will be accessible to all students on an appointment basis, Harper said.
For college students, it’s expensive to purchase a suit or nice dress that will be worn for just one day, she said.
By opening the closet, students will be able to try on and pick out one outfit to keep and wear for any professional occasion.
“It’s a confidence boost,” Harper said.
After helping a few students last year by donating items from the bookstore, like dress shirts and ties, Harper said she decided to push the program to the next level.
Working with DECA, the business marketing organization on campus, and PRCC’s Recruitment Office, the Career Closet has taken off, she said.
DECA students will help those who use the closet by assisting them in selecting the best clothes and practicing interview questions, Harper said.
The clothes will be distributed on a confidential basis to protect each student’s privacy, she said.
When students and faculty return in August, Harper said she hopes to have a large enough collection of modern, gently used professional clothing to last the whole year.
“We wanted to give back to our students who are the ones that keep the bookstore open,” she said.
Providing just one more resource beyond textbooks could help students move on to the next step in their lives, whether through employment or continued education at a four-year university, Harper said.
“This is a service they can’t get anywhere else,” she said.
For more information, contact Harper at charper@prcc.edu.
The bookstore, located in Crosby Hall, will accept donations every Monday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.