One never knows when inspiration will hit. For Timothy Surrette, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) Bangor Campus, it came serendipitously one evening on his drive home from work.
“I had been navigating a situation with an Education student who was having difficulty accessing professional attire that matched the school’s expectations where he was doing his internship,” recalled Surrette. “I was on my way home, listening to NPR, when a story came on about universities establishing dress closets to provide their economically disadvantaged students access to suitable clothing for professional interviews and internships,” he recalls. “I immediately thought of my student. I knew we needed this at UMA; that was my inspiration to act.”
When he arrived home, he shared the story with his wife, Lauren Holleb Surrette, a Health and Human Services professor also at UMA. She was immediately on board. They collaborated with friend and colleague, Education Professor Lauren Stark, and together they applied for, and received, a UMA presidential mini-grant of $5,000 to start the Professional Wardrobe Support Program—a dress closet on the UMA Bangor Campus serving Education and Health and Human Services students in need of appropriate clothing for their teaching and counseling internships.
“Over the duration of the grant we’ve been able to provide over 40 students with $50 gift cards to a Goodwill store location near them in Maine and to create a physical dress closet located on the UMA Bangor campus.” They were granted space to house the closet on the second floor of Lewiston Hall. “Our goal was to provide these students with the clothes they needed as soon as possible,” recalls Surrette. So, while we were building up our inventory and procuring racks, hangers, mirrors, and shelving, students in need of clothing could apply to us for a Goodwill gift card to outfit their internship needs.
Now in its second year, the program is navigating its growth. Though the gift certificate program has ended, they now have about 250 pieces of clothing, including shoes and accessories, available in their wardrobe space. “But we definitely need more, and are accepting donations,” remarked Surrette. “Professional plus size women’s items are what we need the most right now,” Surrette shared, “but we welcome new or gently-worn, clean, ready-to-wear, current fashion, work-appropriate clothing, shoes, and accessories for all genders and in all sizes.” While there is certainly a need for dressier interview clothing, the greatest need is for every-day professional wear for interning teachers and social workers.
Being appropriately dressed goes a long way toward feeling confident, focusing on your work, and possessing a sense of belonging. The outfits provided to students not only help them feel professional while completing their coursework but will follow them forward and be one more way they are prepared for success in their new careers. “We are very proud to have been a part of this collective work and to see the impact it’s had on our students,” proclaimed Surrette.
Access to professional clothes through the closet is critical to ensuring all UMA students can leverage their education to achieve career opportunities and upward mobility. The majority of the university’s students are eligible for need-based federal Pell grants, and are the first in their families to pursue a door-opening postsecondary degree. To connect with the services of the Professional Wardrobe Support Program or to donate to this effort, contact Timothy Surrette at timothy.surrette@maine.edu.