By Bry Colyar / The Jambar
For students to make the best impression when entering a professional field, it’s crucial to walk in with not only the right attitude, but the right attire.
Students, staff and faculty who are in need of professional attire should visit the Career Closet at Youngstown State University.
The closet offers suits, shoes, belts, purses, shirts and more to those in need. Clothing options are provided weekly to help find appropriate clothing no matter the occasion.
Lorriane Hollabaugh, executive assistant for Division of Student Affairs, said in most cases, visitors are allowed to stop by the closet and pantry once per semester. She also said there are other ways visitors can receive help more frequently if needed.
“Anyone visiting the pantry [or the closet] is permitted to come once a semester. If they need to come more often than that, they can do that, but they need to schedule an appointment to see a case manager, and the case manager will provide them with additional resources and assess their needs to use the pantry or the closet,” Hollabaugh said.
The pantry and Career Closet are solely donation-based. Hollabaugh said anyone who wishes to make a donation can do so in a couple of ways, such as buying items from the pantry’s Amazon Wishlist or donating clothes to the closet.
“Anyone who wants to drop off any new or gently used clothing — no stains, no damage — they can certainly bring it to that bin or bring it to the [Office of the Dean of Students],” Hollabaugh said. “Anyone is also able to connect with me. They can contact me via email or phone, and I will coordinate a pickup with them if we need to.”
For those interested in donating money, Hollabaugh encourages direct donations to the YSU Foundation’s Penguin-to-Penguin Fund.
“Maybe they need to pay a medical bill and they just don’t have the financial means at that time — things of that nature. All that information is on the Dean of Students website. There is a red box for the Penguin Pantry and Career Closet. It tells you how to donate [and] the many ways you can donate,” Hollabaugh said.
The Career Closet is located on the third floor of DeBartolo Hall, next to the Penguin Pantry. Found on the same floor in Rooms 345 and 346, the Career Closet and Penguin Pantry are open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays for those in need.
For more information on hours, donations and volunteering, visit the Dean of Students page on the YSU website or visit the Dean of Students office located in Room 301.