Student-inspired Bison Business Closet helps students dress for success

Student-inspired Bison Business Closet helps students dress for success

From Staff Reports | 11/29/2024

Thanks to Lipscomb's motivated students, donors and partners, today business students can enter the marketplace not just equipped to succeed but dressed for success as well.

In fall 2023, the College of Business launched the Bison Business Closet, an initiative designed to help students present their best selves for professional endeavors. The closet offers a wide selection of business attire for students to check-out for networking events and job interviews.

Inspired by the vision of then-student, Margaret Eden Hutchinson (BBA '24), the Bison Business Closet was "created out of the desire to meet student needs and provide a solution to the reality that, when it comes to career success, first impressions do matter."

Bringing Hutchinson's vision to life, Hannah Lynn (BS '20, MBA '21), assistant director of professional development and engagement for the College of Business, collaborated with local contacts and organizations to gather more than 450 donated items. FirstBank and Eco-Energy LLC were the project's main corporate sponsors. The College of Business' Career Connection staff and business students Grace Guthrie, senior, and Carlee Zettergren, junior, managed the organization and design of the closet. Pam Pfeffer, the co-namesake for the Pfeffer Graduate School of Business, also donated many items.

The Career Connection office orchestrates over 300 student/employer meetings each year, often helping students prepare for individual interviews and hosting on-campus job fairs. More than 40 students have taken advantage of the service since its creation, and if the students have the need and the desire, they can keep the Bison Business Closet clothes free of charge, said Lynn.

"First impressions are essential, especially in career fairs, networking events and interviews, and dressing appropriately can boost students' confidence," said Lynn. "The closet offers a sustainable and free solution for students who might otherwise struggle to find or purchase professional attire, empowering them to put their best foot forward."

Do you have new or gently used professional clothing to donate? Contact Lynn at hannah.lynn[at] lipscomb.edu.