Dress for Success

Carteret CC’s Professional Attire Closet

At Carteret CC, we’re making sure our students step into interviews, conferences, and business meetings with confidence. The Dress for Success Closet is a resource on campus designed to provide professional attire for both current and former students—free of charge. Whether you’re gearing up for an important job interview, a networking event, or a formal presentation, we’ve got you covered.

The closet offers a wide selection of clothing for all genders and in many sizes, ensuring that every student can find something that fits their professional needs. If we don’t have the right size or item available, we also have additional resources to ensure you’re fully prepared for the occasion.

The closet includes, but is not limited to shirts, blouses, blazers, pants, skirts, ties, shoes, and heels—everything needed to make a polished first impression.

This initiative has been making a difference for years. Jeremy Drollinger, a former Carteret CC paramedic student shares how the closet helped him take a step forward in his career.

“In 2018, I was getting ready to apply for a job at the hospital, but I didn’t  have anything to wear for a job interview,” said Jeremy. “Thankfully I found plenty of clothes and shoes in the closet in my size that I could try out, and I found exactly what I needed. The Dress for Success Closet was super helpful.”

For previous students like Gwen Middleton, an EMS student from Newport, the Dress for Success Closet is more than just clothing—it’s a vital opportunity. “This is a tremendous opportunity, especially for us college students who don’t have much money,” said Gwen. “It also gives students a chance to learn what is interview appropriate.”

Recently, Bena Weires, NCWorks Career Coach and SkillsUSA Coordinator, and Kristian Jenkins, Student Life Coordinator and SGA Advisor, took the time to organize and refresh the Dress for Success Closet, making it even easier for students to find what they need. Their efforts help ensure that this resource remains accessible, well-maintained, and ready to support Carteret CC students on their professional journeys.

How You Can Help

Our Dress for Success Closet thrives because of the generosity of our community. If you’re looking for a meaningful way to support students as they take the next step in their careers, we welcome mindful donations of professional work attire.

Currently, we are specifically in need of:

• Black dress pants for women
• Black pencil skirts
• Solid-color blouses
• Solid-color button up shirts
• Solid-color ties
• Solid-color professional dresses

“We are not currently accepting men’s suits or dress pants, as our closet is well-stocked in these areas,” said Kristian Jenkins. “We kindly ask that donations reflect current professional standards and be in gently worn or new condition to ensure students feel confident when they step into an interview or professional setting. Our goal is to provide quality, workplace-ready attire that empowers students to succeed.”

If you or someone you know needs professional attire for an upcoming interview, business event, or conference, or if you have questions about the Dress for Success Closet, donations, or assistance in finding attire, please reach out to Bena Weires or Kristian Jenkins for support.

Program Contacts

Kristian Jenkins
[email protected]
252-222-6253

Bena Weires
[email protected]
252-222-6156

For additional student resources, please visit the Personal Resources webpage.