The Career Development office in CORE is planning a JCPenney Suit Up event for Sunday, Mar. 24 at the JCPenney location in NorthPark Mall, Davenport, Iowa.
This event is a national event but is new to Augustana and the Quad Cities.
The program coordinator in the Career Development office, Stacie Gill said, “I wanted to bring an event like this to Augustana to expose students to the importance of a professional image, but also the importance of self confidence and self esteem, and knowing how to present yourself in an interview or in a professional workplace in general.”
The Suit Up event will be open to all students, faculty, staff and administrators apart of the Augustana community.
Laura Kestner-Ricketts, the director of career and professional development in CORE, said, “It is an opportunity for our students to spend time at JCPenney, a local store in NorthPark Mall, and have access to purchase anything that has to do with career or professional wardrobe at reduced prices.
“JCPenney always has sales and they already have reasonably priced professional attire, so what they’re doing is offering that, but then because of this event, they will have the store closed just for our students. Then they will have raffles and giveaways and things like that, but whatever students purchase, they will get an additional 40% off.”
Both Gill and Kestner-Ricketts encourage those who wish to attend the event to sign up through Handshake.
One reason they encourage sign ups through Handshake is for transportation. Gill said, “If a student doesn’t have a car, they are free to take part in the free transportation provided through the CORE Career Development Office. At the Gerber Center Circle, there will be a bus to take students to JCPenney. There will be an hour rotation so they don’t have to stay the whole time.”
The other reason is if the attendee needs financial help. Kestner-Ricketts said, “We realize that there are students, where it may not be a priority for them, they may just simply not have the cash or they may not want to spend their money that way. We hope that they see this as an opportunity to invest in themselves.
“We are right now trying to get funding, we have been speaking with a local employer, and have asked them to donate some money. The Office of Student Life is donating some money, and then we’re pitching in some money. So at this point, we’re hoping to raise about $4,000 to offer students who demonstrate financial need an offset of maybe $52-$100.”
Senior Courtney Merkel is one of the students who plans to attend the Suit Up event. Merkel said, “I’m really excited because professional clothing is really expensive and I’ll be getting a job next year, so I’ll need nicer clothes than what I wear to classes.
“I believe this event can apply to anyone because whether they apply to a job or go to grad school, they are gonna need profession clothing in some form.
“I’m pretty excited because I don’t think people realize how much of a confidence booster this can be for students,” Gill said. “JCPenney being willing to offer 40 percent off on a number of items, not just including your suits, your ties, your dress blouses, but even thinking the accessories, the undergarments, shoes, socks. Really make it available for students to get an entire outfit.
“Students should take advantage of this because it doesn’t happen again, especially at colleges that are small liberal arts verses bigger universities,” Gill said.