On Sept. 12, the Student Government Association and Career Development Center partnered in Rough Ridge on the fourth floor of the Plemmons Student Union for the  first “Look Smart” shop, marking the beginning of a no cost series of Pop-Up Shops.

The “Look Smart” shop collects donations from faculty, staff, students and members of the Boone community to lend students business-style clothing, whether that be business casual or professional.

“It is to supply students with the attire they need for interviews, whether that be for a job, an internship or a scholarship,” Savannah Fonvielle, chief administrative officer of SGA and senior management major, said.

Since shopping for professional clothing can add up, this program works to take some stress off of students that need more clothes, Fonvielle said.

“It was an idea that sprang out of necessity,” Rawdon Marroquin, graduate assistant for the Career Development Center, said. “Working with students and part of the student affairs, we noticed that students don’t always have access to professional clothing, so it was over a few years of transition that we noticed that there is that need for students to have professional clothing and professional items.”

Walking into an interview with a more refined look can allow people to have confidence that they are putting their best foot forward, Marroquin said.

Out of the 80 students that attended the first “Look Smart” shop, 35 were able to find items that they could use, Geralyn Mitchell, assistant director of Career Development Center, said.

The first shop had more business casual than business professional clothing. There is also a desire for more blazers, sports coats and pant suits for men and women, Mitchell said.

If you have donations, there is a bin in the SGA office, the Career Development Center, Student Affairs and one in the sustainability office that could be used for the next shop, Fonvielle said.

Story by Anna Dollar