Strong Suit: Spears Business students collect over 1,100 garments for campuswide Career Closet
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Media Contact: Hallie Hart | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-1050 | hallie.hart@okstate.edu
Madeline Chaney describes herself as a big dreamer, but even she couldn’t anticipate the turnout for the event her team had meticulously planned since summer.
A line of Oklahoma State University students formed outside the Business Building’s Williams Cyber Systems & Analytics Lab on the morning of Sept. 12. The basement lab had morphed into a colorful boutique brimming with more than 1,100 pieces of business professional clothing, from women’s blazers, dresses and slacks to men’s trousers, suits and dress shirts.
“I don’t think I was mentally prepared for what we received,” said Chaney, an accounting and management junior from Oklahoma City. “I genuinely was blown away.”
Women in Technology, a Spears School of Business student club, organized its Career Closet pop-up shop for the second consecutive year, welcoming students of all majors to select free business attire in many sizes and styles. Executive members Chaney, Ashlyn Caldwell, Jess Zeleke, Chloe Dang, Piper DuVall and Mia Stringer volunteered significant time and effort to meet a campuswide need.
Each September, OSU’s career fairs introduce students to employers and opportunities that shape their futures. Students are advised to dress to impress, but shopping for business attire often causes financial and personal anxiety.
A new blazer or suit might cost half of a student’s monthly rent. Many stores carry limited sizes, creating an uncomfortable shopping experience. Some students simply don’t have time to visit off-campus stores between classes, meetings and work.
Kim Strom, assistant head of the Spears Business Department of Management Science and Information Systems, wanted to remove those obstacles. She dreamed up the Career Closet alongside WIT co-advisor Tina Meier, information technology director in the College of Arts and Sciences.
“I’ve always wanted it to come to fruition ever since I started working here,” said Strom, an assistant professor of professional practice. “I never want anyone to feel less confident just because they don’t have the ‘right’ clothes. I know how much of a difference it makes in my own confidence when I feel good about what I’m wearing.”
Strom isn’t alone. As a sophomore WIT member at last year’s inaugural Career Closet, Chaney saw a young woman light up with joy while selecting a full ensemble to wear at a career fair. The emotional moment stuck with Chaney, who volunteered to lead this fall’s Career Closet as the club’s treasurer.
“Seeing that impact is definitely what encouraged us for this year,” Chaney said.
WIT president Caldwell said the 2024 event was smaller, but the Career Closet opened its doors to many more people this year.
With the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce and OSU-Tulsa serving as drop-off sites, the Career Closet received 1,148 donations. Attendance reached 153 students who selected a total of 694 pieces.
Chaney, who delegated tasks in preparation, credited her fellow officers for sharing her workload. Together, they sorted clothing and arranged items as if they were in a real-world retail setting. Zeleke, a management information systems senior from Edmond, was involved with gathering donations in Tulsa.
“I was astonished whenever I went to the Tulsa location for pickup because it was a conference room full of clothing and donations,” said Zeleke, the WIT industry liaison.
In Stillwater, community members spread the word. Dr. Ann Caine, president of the OSU Alumni Association, sent information to alumni so they could donate. Alane Zannotti, president and CEO of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, promoted the Career Closet on local radio.
MIS student Jake Broom, president of the MSIS Association of Information Technology Professionals, generated support from OSU fraternities. He also volunteered at the Career Closet, filling a need WIT noticed during the first year.
The free pop-up shop started with women’s clothing, but men showed up looking for clothes, too. This year’s Career Closet offered masculine and feminine pieces, and men turned to Broom for advice on business professional attire.
Hannah Thompson, owner of the local Jo & Co. Boutique, also served as a style advisor for students. The day before the Career Closet, WIT collaborated with student club Women in Business for the annual Dress for Success event, where professionals such as Thompson offered business fashion tips.
Thanks to creative styling, discarded pieces of clothing gained second lives. From a pink blazer to a brown Calvin Klein dress, each bag of donations contained garments that matched someone’s unique style. Some pieces were new with tags attached.
“One thing that I really like about this is that it’s sustainable,” Zeleke said. “Sometimes these things can end up in landfills, but here, we actually take it and people can use them and benefit their future.”
Leftover clothes from the event will not go to waste.
Strom’s idea for the Career Closet inspired a sustained campus initiative. OSU alumni Claudia and Gary Humphreys built on WIT’s efforts, providing the lead gift for the permanent Cowboy Career Closet set to open soon in the Student Union basement. While OSU Career Services will operate the closet, WIT plans to gather donations, starting with the clothing left from this fall’s Career Closet.
It’s a chance to multiply the Career Closet’s impact, turning an annual event into a year-round resource for students.
The WIT students have already seen the difference one day can make.
“It was definitely helpful,” said Caldwell, an MIS and data analytics senior from Tulsa. “Being able to offer clothes in all different sizes that we know are going to be able to help those students who might financially need this support, or even just they’re looking to diversify their closet and they want some extra pieces, it was a huge impact.”