The fall semester at Michigan Tech has many annual traditions, one of these being the Fall Career Fair, where over 400 companies come searching for undergraduates and graduates to hire. In preparation, Michigan Tech has been hosting a Career Closet to give away gently worn business attire to students preparing for interviews or career opportunities in the summer. In Fall of 2023, this initiative gave away roughly 700 items to 250 students. This year, the Career Closet will be held in Wadsworth Hall, Room G04W on Sep. 20 from 3 p.m to 6 p.m. and Sep. 21 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. There is no item limit per person.
“While there is some professional attire in the Clothing Closet all year, this is the best opportunity to get professional clothes, even if it is just one piece,” says Alexandra Marshall, Director of Residence Education and the facilitator of the Career Closet. Volunteers are still needed to help set up and restock the racks during the event. Information can be found on GivePulse [https://mtu.givepulse.com/event/481947-career-closet] or by emailing huskycloset@mtu.edu.
The Career Closet is part of the Husky Closet Collective. The Collective, comprised of faculty and staff, wants to provide clothing resources to students while reducing waste. It has existed in many forms and many places, becoming more structured in the last five years. After the Career Closet ends, The Clothing Closet will move into the Wadsworth G04W space to be open all year. There will be an additional Career Closet hosted for the Spring Career Fair.
The Husky Closet Collective also hosts an event called Gowns for Grads, which according to Nicholas Pate, a student working with the Husky Closet organization, “is to help provide caps and gowns for graduates to borrow. This was created because we didn’t want students who didn’t have the funds to pay for the cap and gown and not have the opportunity to celebrate their hard work and graduation.”
If you would like to help the Collective in other ways, donations for the Career Closet will be accepted through Sep. 20 at noon. Drop-off locations include: the College of Business in the Administrative Office Building, the Dean of Students Office, Career Services, University Images, the Campus Bookstore, the Van Pelt and Opie Library, and Residential Living office. Additional information can be found on the Husky Closet website www.mtu.edu/student-affairs/resources/husky-closet-collective.
