Students in Dr. Laura Donorfio’s HDFS 4007W course teamed up with Lisa Carrozza, Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills, and Heather Price, Director of Community Innovation and HDFS 2016 graduate, to organize UConn Waterbury’s second “Career Closet” held on November 19th and 20th. The event was a huge success, with over 125+ students visiting and over 1,000+ articles of clothing distributed. The free event allowed students to pick out professional clothing for future interviews/careers. All clothing was donated by community partners, including Waterbury City Hall coordinated by liaison Ali DeGirolamo, Mayoral Aide and HDFS 2020 graduate. This service-learning class helped students gain experience with project management, developing a budget and timeline, identifying and engaging with community partners, and developing marketing and social media plans. Important class discussions centered on connecting experiences to the National Association of Colleges and Employers career competencies, meeting the diverse needs of all students on campus, including culture variation, inclusive sizing, gender organization of clothing, and what it means to dress “professionally” for various careers today.
Deneliz Espinal, a student in the class shared, “Having an open discussion about topics such as gender, inclusive sizing, and what is considered professional in this day and age really helped us understand what we needed for students and what challenges we might face.” Students developed an informational PowerPoint on the dos and don’ts of professional dress, behavior, communication, and what can score a winning interview. Activity booths were stationed around the room and included a professional photo booth, how to tie a tie, and how to sew a button, etc. Tote bags, with a class developed logo for the event, were provided to all attendees.
Dr. Donorfio shared that “Initially the students were unsure of the benefits of this course having a service-learning component, but over the course of the semester, they took ownership and understood why this experience was invaluable, particularly for their professional futures and employment.”
Lisa Carrozza said “The success of the 2nd annual Career Closet reflects the incredible impact of service-learning students taking ownership of a meaningful initiative. By providing professional attire to their UConn Waterbury peers, they not only expanded access and equity, but also helped create opportunities for students to make lasting first impressions. This achievement was made possible through an incredible campus collaboration with Dr. Laura Donorfio and Heather Price, whose support and dedication were instrumental in bringing this vision to life again this year.”
