Marymount University’s Center for Career Development and Community Engagement (CCDCE) has unveiled its newest resource—a community Career Closet designed to help students look and feel their best as they transition into the workforce.
Leading this initiative is Fashion Merchandising and Marketing student Bridgette Callahan, a CCDCE intern and recent transfer student from Annapolis.
“Our goal is to provide students with clothes that help them feel confident and comfortable in the workplace,” Callahan said. “We want to help students create outfits that stand out and indicate to employers that they are serious and capable professionals.”
The Career Closet, located in Room 2047 of the Ballston Center, will provide free professional clothing, accessories and shoes to all undergraduate and graduate students for use in interviews, on-site visits, networking events and other professional engagements. The inventory, sourced from local nonprofit Women Giving Back, includes men’s and women’s clothing in sizes XS to XXL.
“Over the past few years, our organization has worked to provide clothing for those in need in the DMV community and this is a natural extension of that commitment,” said Erica Parraga, Women Giving Back’s program director. “With this Career Closet, we aim to ensure that students entering the workforce are equipped with the confidence they need to walk into any interview knowing they look the part. This is more than a free clothing resource—it is a stepping stone for students as they take the next step in their lives and careers.”
To access the Career Closet, students must provide proof of a professional engagement, such as an upcoming interview or new internship placement.
“We want to make sure the students who need these clothes—the ones who are about to enter the workforce or have their first professional experience—have priority access to this amazing resource,” said CCDCE Director Dr. Brianna Clark-Williams.
Students can /s/aRZQLCSi3kawna4TN9opKA2">schedule appointments through the CCDCE website to browse the Career Closet and try on items. CCDCE interns and Spirit of Service Scholars will assist in clothing selection and lead brief career development activities.
“Our idea is to have students try on the clothes and then sit for a mock interview with our volunteers,” explained CCDCE Co-Curricular Programs Coordinator Morganne Harrison. “That way, it’s not just a grab-and-go shopping experience. It’s a chance for students to practice interview skills and get a feel for conducting themselves in a professional environment.”
Dr. Clark-Williams hopes to make the Career Closet an experiential learning opportunity for Fashion Merchandising students.
“We love the idea of providing alternative internship opportunities for students and giving them the chance to join us in giving back to the Marymount community,” she explained. “We’d also love to get the Fashion Design students involved and have them design clothes for the Closet! We’re starting small but we’d love to continue to expand.”
Callahan says she has already developed as a merchandising professional through her experience with the Career Closet.
“I’ve been doing a lot of inventory management and coordinating with Women Giving Back, and I’ve already been able to apply many of the things I’ve been learning in my Fashion Merchandising classes. Now, I can show prospective employers that I have real experience in merchandising and helped get an initiative like this off the ground.”
Dr. Clark-Williams encourages students to explore all the new opportunities and items the Career Closet offers.
“We understand there are so many different types of insecurities in today’s economy, and we just want to be a resource to meet some of those needs so our students can feel empowered for every room they step into.”
