Students at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs were offered a unique chance to shop for gently-used clothes this week from Monday through Wednesday.
Humphrey’s Closet, hosted by the Humphrey School’s Office of Career and Student Success, started in the fall of 2024 and aims to give students a chance to find a new interview outfit or winter coat free of charge.
Amber Bieneck, assistant director of the Office of Career and Student Success, said over 100 students took advantage of the closet last semester, roughly a quarter of the school’s population.
“That’s a pretty big deal, and that’s why we decided to do it in the spring,” Bieneck said. “At the very least, we want to do it once a year, so timing will be a little dependent, and it will evolve, but it’s something that we do want to keep doing.”
Bieneck said she hopes the Humphrey School can continue making the closet available to students at least once a semester. Thus far, the event has been held early in the semester so students can prepare for the interviewing season with the right wardrobe.
Some college students may not necessarily know what to wear to an interview or just do not have an outfit to wear, Bieneck said.
“Giving students the opportunity to come pick something out that they feel excited to wear gives them, I think, hope and inspiration as they go forth into the workforce or tackle that next interview,” Bieneck said.
Maria Ledesma, a first-year master’s student at the Humphrey School, said as an international student, she needed more winter clothes.
“I’m from Argentina, and I’m from the part of my country that is actually tropical,” Ledesma said. “So when I was coming to Minnesota, one of my concerns was that I’ve never been in a place with such tough winters.”
When she arrived in Minnesota and settled into life on campus, Ledesma utilized the closet and other activities offered by Humphrey’s Office of Career and Student Success to feel more included in the campus community.
Along with attending the closet, Ledesma said connecting with second-year students and having conversations about career paths helped her understand how the University and the overall academic structure work.
“Now, I understand how my career path should be like in university thanks to these networking activities in which I got to know second years and got advice,” Ledesma said.
Building community is a priority for the Office of Career and Student Success at the Humphrey School. Bieneck said along with finding used clothes, students were excited to give each other fashion advice and connect, which gives her joy.
The Closet is also a way to get faculty and staff involved with their students, Bieneck said. All clothes available for students are donations from the Humphrey community, including faculty. This spring, alumni also donated clothes for students.
“Word got out to our alumni community and our advisory council,” Bieneck said. “So this semester, this spring, it went beyond just faculty and staff. Everybody wanted to get involved and help donate to the closet to support students, and they were really excited about it as well.”
