Amarillo College offers a variety of resources, such as tutoring, food assistance and mentoring services, for students to use while they are completing their degrees.
There’s also help to prepare them for their lives after they leave AC. The help comes in all shapes and sizes to fit each student’s needs.
Colt Williams, a mechanical engineering of computer science major, sorts through clothing.
In addition to resumé and interview workshops and yearly job fairs, the Career and Employment Center on the first floor of the Lynn Library and Learning Center provides another resource to those students ready to enter the work force: a clothes closet.
Located on the Washington Street Campus, the clothes closet is a nonprofit organization run by AC that provides clothing to students who do not have job-interview-appropriate attire. The closet is filled with a variety of clothing, including suit jackets, dresses and even nursing scrubs.
Amanda Beckford, a career services specialist, said there is no charge to students who take advantage of the closet and that they can keep the clothes they use.
“One important note is anyone should feel welcome to come in here and pick any of the selection we have.” Beckford said.
The closet also accepts donations, which can be brought directly to the center. All sizes of men’s and women’s professional attire is needed to ensure that a student can find an outfit that fits his or her size and situation.
“We do need nice and clean clothes that fit more into an interviewing standpoint,” Beckford said.
Though some students didn’t know about the clothes closet, they said they wouldn’t hesitate to use the resource if there were a situation when they did not have an appropriate outfit.
“If I need a suit for an interview or a school event and I do not have the resources, I would not mind going in and getting myself a nice suit and shoes.” said Jonathan Ruiz, a criminal justice major. “People struggle, but it is so good for schools to have something like this.”
Fabiola Hernandez, an AC alumnus, agreed.
“I have heard of the clothes closet and had a friend get a nurse’s jacket,” Hernandez said. “I would use the closet if I needed clothing for an event or a wedding.”
For more information, call the Career and Employment Center at 806-371-5147 or visit the center in 110 Lynn Library.
Hours for the closet are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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