Secondhand Style, Firsthand Confidence
Two Penn State Altoona Career Services initiatives are supporting student success through clothing
Dress for success. Clothes make the (wo)man. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
In other words, the right clothing can help project competence and professionalism, both crucial for career advancement.
Penn State Altoona’s Career Closet lends students appropriate, professional attire for interviews, career fairs, and networking events.
Credit: Marissa Carney
Penn State Altoona’s Career Closet is a resource that levels the playing field for all students to look their best as they pursue career development.
For over a decade, the closet has helped ease the financial burden of securing business formal wear, making it possible for students to present themselves as polished, professional internship and job candidates.
Genevieve Henderson (left) and Destiny Barber, frequent patrons of the closet, help each other pick outfits for upcoming professional events.
Credit: Marissa Carney
Many students don't own professional clothing and lack the means to purchase it. The closet provides clothing and shoes for students to borrow for class presentations, professional events like career fairs and networking, and job interviews.
Penny Harding, career development coordinator, joined the department in 2023. In addition to her many other responsibilities, she keeps the closet’s inventory stocked with a robust range of sizes and options and oversees the borrowing process.
Genevieve Henderson (left) and Destiny Barber model outfits they’ve chosen to borrow from the Career Closet.
Credit: Marissa Carney
Students can make an appointment through Starfish or drop by the office in W115 Smith to schedule. Appointments are about 30 minutes, and Harding helps students choose what they need, whether it’s just a jacket, a pair of pants, or an entire outfit. The items can be signed out for a day or a few weeks. Once returned, Harding sends them out to be drycleaned then puts them back in rotation for the next student.
Harding says her goal is to send confident, competent, and career-ready students into the world.
“A lot of them come in nervous, so I spend time with them and help them pick out some things to try on. When they're all dressed up, I can just see this new confidence radiating from them. It's like they really see themselves as the professionals they're going to be someday. That’s my favorite part.”
Harding also loves the looks of utter gratitude when she assures students that everything from the closet is free.
“The financial situation in college isn’t always easy,” says Genevieve Henderson, a junior studying security and risk analysis. “Not all of us can afford the appropriate wardrobe for professional events. I know I can rely on the Career Closet to have attire that makes me presentable. When I feel presentable it’s so much easier to have confidence.”
Henderson is just one of the students who frequent the closet. Some return wanting the same thing each time, like Ethan, who gets the orange shirt, the black pants, and the orange and black plaid tie. Harding says she may just let him keep that outfit when he graduates. Others like to mix and match items.
A small portion of the Career Services budget along with funds allocated from the college’s Student Initiated Fee helps with costs such as dry cleaning and stocking in-demand items.
But mostly, the closet runs on donations.
Faculty and staff were among those who Harding reached out to asking for clothing they’ve culled from their drawers and closets.
Some of the donations were not appropriate for the Career Closet but were still in great shape, like patterned and brightly colored dresses which Harding thought could be worn for student teaching or certain types of internships.
Students never know what treasures they might find at Secondhand Lion, Penn State Altoona’s pop-up thrift shop.
Credit: Marissa Carney
Sneakers, bags, accessories, and brand name casual wear were coming in, as well. Harding couldn’t see hauling it all to a local thrift store when there was more than likely a need right on campus.
That was how the campus pop-up thrift shop, Secondhand Lion, came about, named by Penn State Altoona volleyball coach Bob Kasun.
Once a month, Harding put out the surplus items in the Career Services office for students to browse and take what they needed or wanted. She says she would average about 40 students each time in those early days of the shop.
“They were so excited about it and kept asking me if it was all really free,” says Harding. “They just couldn’t believe it.”
Secondhand Lion offers clothing, accessories, décor, and more to students, all for free.
Credit: Marissa Carney
Secondhand Lion quickly outgrew the space in the Career Services office, especially after Harding put out a call to students in residence halls for their unwanted clothing and room décor, even bedding and towels.
She worked with campus officials to secure W116 Smith for the shop and was able to have it up and running in time for the start of the fall semester. In its first week, more than 120 students stopped by to check it out. Harding hopes to offer regular hours at some point, but for now she will open the room by appointment if students can’t make it during pop up times.
She says many students have expressed thanks for Secondhand Lion, sharing their stories of financial difficulty and stress.
“We have rent and bills and there’s only so much to go around,” says Henderson. “Being able to take clothing out of my budget is helpful. Last year I got a winter jacket and other warm clothes for the season. Having Secondhand Lion right here on campus is such a relief.”
“There was a point last semester where I was thinking, ‘oh my gosh, I already have so much work, why did I add more to my plate,’” says Harding.
But she is quick to add that interacting with these students and watching them scour through the inventory to find treasures energizes her.
“I love it. Knowing how much our students appreciate the Career Closet and Secondhand Lion is what keeps me going.”
Career Services accepts donations on a rolling basis for both the Career Closet and Secondhand Lion. Donations can be dropped off in W115 Smith Building, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. Items should be clean and in good condition.
The Career Closet’s most needed items are
- Women’s dress shoes (closed toe flats, pumps, heels) in nude and black
- Men’s dress shoes (black or brown)
- Men’s white or solid-colored dress shirts in all sizes
- Belts
- Women’s professional dresses
Students experiencing food insecurity are encouraged to use Ivyside Eats food pantry, also located on campus in C112 Smith.
