Lander’s ‘Fashion Forward’ Students Ready for Education Careers

Clothes don’t make the person, but they do form the foundation for a professional wardrobe to help a person shine in their career.

Lander University’s College of Education assists students with the clothing they will need for their teaching and interview experiences – without wreaking financial havoc.

For the past three years, Dr. Amanda Walkup has worked with the Palmetto State Teachers Association (PTSA) to bring the Teachers Clothes Closet to Lander each fall and spring semester. The service provides free clothing to students so that education majors can go on interviews, work in the classroom, or attend meetings and conferences with confidence.

“Many of our teacher education majors don’t think about or have the chance to purchase professional clothing for themselves,” said Walkup, lecturer and coordinator of field experiences for Lander’s Department of Teacher Education. “Throughout South Carolina, schools have dress codes, and our students go into those classrooms as freshmen. They need clothing that will be appropriate and that they will feel comfortable wearing.”

The Teachers Clothes Closet is made possible through “very generous donations of people throughout the state, including retired teachers,” said Toni Chewning, PSTA director of Association Activities.

Chewning was inspired to develop the program nine years ago when a college professor expressed concern that many students didn’t have the clothes they needed for their careers.

“Dress codes vary based on school districts. At the beginning of a teacher’s career, the expectation is for young men and women to dress for the schools in which they will be teaching,” Chewning said. “We know that many students are working to put themselves through college and may not have a large budget for clothing. Adulting is hard.”

The Teachers Clothes Closet travels to about 12 college and university campuses throughout the year. Clothing already has been vetted, so to speak, so that students know that the items they choose will be appropriate for their needs.

Lander freshman Keegan Johns, of Anderson, was among the students shopping in Lander’s education conference room, which was temporarily transformed into a boutique for students. Johns, a Teaching Fellow aspiring to become a special education teacher, said that his casual shorts and T-shirts were not suitable attire for teaching.

“I can’t look as casual as I do on campus when I’m in the classroom with younger students,” Johns said. “I knew that I would have to dress professionally, but I hadn’t put a lot of thought into it. Having the chance to shop here is great. This makes it a lot easier for us.”

Kalanie Stowers, a junior from Mooresville, North Carolina, was searching the racks for business casual clothing. An early childhood education major, Stowers already has been thinking about her future wardrobe. “This is a good alternative to having to go home and shop, or ask my mother for help,” she said. “Having this service is important. It gives us another outlet other than shopping in a store.”

Many of the clothes bear well-known, fashionable labels – Calvin Klein, Talbots, Brooks Brothers, Izod, Jos. A. Bank and Ellen Tracy, to name but a few. Katie St. Laurent, a junior from Leesburg, Virginia, sought some fashion advice on a Banana Republic jacket from Walkup.

An interdisciplinary studies major, St. Laurent is planning for future internships to enhance her education. “I’m beginning to think about my professional wardrobe, and how I can coordinate different outfits,” she said.

Joel Stephens, a freshman from Elgin, left with four shirts and a tie. “I was looking for clothes that are professional, but that I can also wear to church or a wedding. What I wore as a student won’t be what I’ll need when I’m teaching.”

The Teachers Clothes Closet is an important resource as Lander seeks to help students move from being a student in a classroom to being a teacher leading the classroom, said Walkup.

“I wish that I would have had this opportunity when I was student,” Walkup said. “The Teachers Clothes Closetrelieves the stress of wardrobing from students who must study and do all that is required for their field experiences.”

Visit www.lander.edu/coe about Lander’s College of Education.