<\/p>\n
Career Closet Opening Ribbon Cutting & Fashion Show at Kendall Campus in 2002.<\/p>\n
Provided photo<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Miami Dade College<\/p>\n
For some college students in Miami, snagging a job interview may not be the only challenge in pursuing a career.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking professional, looking nice, looking clean \u2014 it gives you confidence,\u201d said Alejandro Fayat, a recent graduate of Miami Dade College, now headed to Princeton University to study economics.<\/p>\n
But for families struggling to pay the bills, buying professional clothes could be a challenge. And that\u2019s where the Career Closet comes in.<\/p>\n
The Miami Dade College resource helps outfit students so they can look the part on that big interview.<\/p>\n
The college\u2019s Career Closet program gives students a chance to select free new clothes for a professional workplace.<\/p>\n
The Career Closet is available on five of the eight MDC campuses, and other campuses plan to open their own soon, said Norma Ardila of the college\u2019s office of media relations.<\/p>\n
With drawers full of ties and socks, rows of hangers with blazers and blouses, even accessories like purses, shoes and work bags, the room is \u201cbeautiful,\u201d said Kesia Vazquez, dean of students at Miami Dade College\u2019s Kendall Campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of the clothing that we do collect are new,\u201d Vazquez said. \u201cThey aren\u2019t used, because we want students to have the experience of getting new clothes, not hand-me-downs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Career Closet Ribbon Cutting at MDC North Campus on Jan. 17, 2024. Provided photo Courtesy of Miami Dade College <\/p>\n
College makes money tight between tuition, textbooks and other school expenses. So, Vazquez says whether it\u2019s providing students with attire they couldn\u2019t otherwise access, or educating them about the appropriate clothes to wear to an interview or internship, the Career Closet can help.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make sure that besides students earning their degrees here, they feel supported and they have all the right tools,\u201d Vazquez said. \u201cIt\u2019s more than just the clothing. It\u2019s what the clothing represents, and it represents opportunity in how you present yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fayat said the items he got at the Career Closet twice helped him compete at the Future Business Leaders of America national competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to nationals two years back to back, and both years I was wearing the same shoes and the tie that I got at the Career Closet because I thought it was just good luck or something that works for me,\u201d Fayat said. \u201cI still have the shoes and tie. Hopefully I keep using them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fayat, a 19-year-old from Kendall with hopes of becoming an investment banker, and his family came to the United States from Cuba about 2 1\/2 years ago. He said that it was \u201ca tough time\u201d for his family.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had just moved to a new country,\u201d Fayat said. \u201cSo going there and finding all of those opportunities that were just a hand away from me, it was, of course, super helpful, super meaningful to me.<\/p>\n
At the Career Closet at MDC North Campus in 2024. Provided photo Courtesy of Miami Dade College <\/p>\n
Fayat said appearance, whether it\u2019s perfume or clothes, is important, especially in professional settings.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever looks at you, that\u2019s the first thing they see. Even before you speak, even before you say a word. They see how professional you are,\u201d Fayat said. \u201cAnd the first look, I do think it matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
The college\u2019s Career Closet program accepts monetary donations and new clothes. It even has fashion shows to promote the initiative to students and donors.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s tied to the heart and soul of the institution,\u201d Vazquez said. \u201cWe do believe in preparing our students for the workforce, and we understand that our mission is also to remove these barriers because we see talent and opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
And for students, it\u2019s a feeling that they matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very welcoming environment inside that place,\u201d Fayat said. \u201cMy thoughts were how many resources that we have that many kids don\u2019t even know there is.\u201d<\/p>\n
To donate to the Career Closet<\/p>\n
Those interested in donating to the Career Closet program can find information on the Miami Dade College Foundation\u2019s Areas of Giving page.<\/a><\/p>\n