Career Services offers ‘Dress to Impress’

The Career Services Department at Missouri Southern witnessed quite a large turnout of students and professionals at their Dress To Impress event last Thursday.

The goal of the event was simple: give professional clothing to students or alumni that may not be able to afford it otherwise. 

Whether the purpose of the clothing was for interviews, formal events, or merely to build a professional wardrobe, students were encouraged to take what they needed from a selection of jackets, pants, shirts, ties, dresses, scarves, shoes, and other accessories.  

The clothing was donated by Joplin-area residents in the weeks prior to the event. 

Donations were accepted at several area locations and then given to the Career Services Department for use at this event.  

Jayce Hylton, senior history major, was one of the many students that attended the event. Dress To Impress arrived at an opportune time for Hylton, for he will graduate from the pride in just over one month.  

“I thought Dress To Impress was a great opportunity for any college student about to enter the workforce. I was able to snag some high quality clothes for free!” said Hylton.  

Though he did not attend the event, junior education major Joshua Harp said that he would attend in the future.  

“I didn’t realize the scope of the event,” he said, “but I was told by my friends that did attend that it was worth the time and effort spent searching for the right stuff.”  

The event lasted all day; however, the clothing was distributed on a first come, first served basis. While there were a plethora of items available initially, that number dwindled as the day progressed.  

Another touch added by the Career Services Department was the addition of local business professionals that offered their clothing expertise to the students present. 

These business professionals offered to volunteer their time in order to invest in the futures of Missouri Southern students. The practical advice offered also increased the speed at which students could leave with their clothes.

Every student was assigned one of these temporary mentors to help them find the outfits that ‘suited’ them best.