Student-Led Clothing Drive, Pop-Up Thrift Shop Endeavors to Break Stigma, Boost Confidence at Career Fair

When career fairs take place, students are well prepared through workshops, resume and cover letter writing guidance, and interviewing/networking practice.

Still, Graduate Career Advisor Madison Dougherty 鈥�27 M.A. learned that there was a key component consistently emphasized by visiting employers where there was some room for growth: professional attire.

鈥淲hen the Fall Career Fair took place in September, I had the opportunity to speak directly with employers after the event and ask for honest feedback on how we could better prepare our students,鈥� Dougherty said. 鈥淎ttire came up as a recurring concern. That repetition made it clear that this was not a minor issue, but a consistent barrier that could impact students' confidence and their first impressions.鈥�

That鈥檚 when Dougherty said the light bulb went off, and she immediately thought about the University鈥檚 Career Closet and how it is being utilized by students.

Ask any shopper of Plato鈥檚 Closet, Savers, or Facebook Marketplace, and they鈥檒l tell you that 鈥渢hrifting鈥� is all the rage.

But what Dougherty found after speaking with students on campus was eye-opening, she said.

While some students didn鈥檛 know about the Career Closet, where it was located or how to access it, others felt uncomfortable using it as a resource.

鈥淚 started thinking about how we could bring visibility to the resource in a way that felt inclusive, engaging, and empowering,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat is when the idea evolved into a campus-wide clothing donation transformed into a Pop-Up Thrift Shop.鈥�

She said she believes that one of the most effective ways to combat stigma is by reframing the experience itself and adjusting the language surrounding it.

鈥淏y turning this into an event that is engaging, welcoming, and enjoyable, we shift the narrative from necessity to empowerment,鈥� she said. 鈥淢aking the Pop-Up Thrift Shop feel like a leisure activity, rather than a last resort, helps students see it as something positive and even exciting.鈥�

Dougherty set the wheels in motion by creating a timeline, networking across campus, and spreading the word so that students could look and feel confident by the time the Spring Career Fairs (and future career fairs) roll around in February and April.

Before donations started streaming in, organizing at the Career Closet needed to happen.

Volunteers, including students from a 鈥淒iversity & Social Justice class鈥� taught by Patricia Sampley Krupnikoff, M Ed., helped sort through donations that wouldn鈥檛 work in the professional world to make room for what would eventually flood in.

In December, the first round of professional-clothing collections was held. The second will be happening Jan. 22 鈥� Feb. 2, and donations can be dropped off at the following locations: Bartels Campus Center (information desk), Career Readiness Lab (Bartels Student Activity Center), Echlin Hall (second floor), and Harugari Hall (first floor).

The UNewHaven community has certainly stepped up to the challenge. Dougherty said the response from the first wave of collections has been 鈥渙verwhelming in the best way.鈥�

Racks filled with professional coats, dresses, button-down shirts, and dress pants will be put out for students to sift through during the Pop-Up Thrift Shop (Feb. 10 - 12, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Career Readiness Lab, Bartels Student Activity Center), along with ties, purses, shoes, and accessories.

鈥淓ach donation, no matter the size, contributes to creating opportunities for our students,鈥� Dougherty said. 鈥淪eeing the generosity and support from our campus community has been incredibly meaningful, and it reinforces how impactful this initiative truly is.鈥�

After the donations roll in, the thrift shop happens, and students get ready to wow employers at the Spring Career Fairs, the hope is that students are not only well prepared and feel confident, but that they are also more aware of the resources that are available to them here on campus.

鈥淎s college students, many of us experience financial strain, and purchasing professional attire from traditional retail stores is simply not realistic for everyone,鈥� said Dougherty, a candidate in the University鈥檚 graduate program in Clinical Mental Health and Counseling. 鈥淚 want this initiative to reinforce the message that the University of New Haven is deeply invested in supporting its students and removing barriers that could stand in the way of their success.鈥�

Additionally, the hope is to normalize that asking for support isn鈥檛 a weakness, but a strength, and the Career Closet and Career Development Center are just two of the many resources on campus that students can utilize to best prepare for their futures.

Dougherty said she hopes for this to be an annual initiative that not only provides professional clothing items to students who may not have the means or inclination to buy new, but also as an important educational opportunity.

鈥淭he mission of the Career Development Center is to guide, support, and prepare students for life after college,鈥� Dougherty said. 鈥淢aking this event annual would allow us to educate future incoming students, increase awareness of professional expectations, and ensure that all students feel equipped and confident as they step into professional spaces. Over time, this could become a campus tradition that reflects our commitment to student success.鈥�