BSOS Terps Are Sporting New Professional Attire Thanks to New “Suit Yourself” Award

At the start of the fall 2023 semester, the Feller Center for Advising and Career Planning in BSOS offered undergraduate students a new opportunity to offset some of the costs associated with pursuing internships, conferences, and other career goals: the “Suit Yourself” Professional Clothing Award. 

The one-time, $200 awards were presented to 100 applicants who needed financial assistance in order to purchase professional clothing for career-related activities. Below, meet a handful of the inaugural “Suit Yourself” award recipients, and see what professional threads they were able to acquire with the award’s support.

Jonathan Booker

Junior psychology major Jonathan Booker hopes to attend graduate school to obtain a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology. He wants to conduct research in the area of neurological disorders in hopes of developing treatment for those suffering from seizure disorders. 

Through the “Suit Yourself” award, Booker was able to purchase professional attire needed to attend and impress at the 11th Annual Black Doctoral Network Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. 

“I felt confident and put my best foot forward. I was able to win third place in the research poster competition, as well as an award for best poster design,” he said.“Some people even thought I was a graduate student because of how nicely I was dressed.”

Nafisah Scott

Senior criminology and criminal justice major Nafisah Scott, an active leader on campus as vice president of this university’s Global Poverty Advisory Board, plans to study policies and laws targeting children and families, with a particular interest in improving the social mobility for marginalized communities.

“Thankfully, with the Suit Yourself Professional Clothing Award, I have been able to purchase business wear to prepare for the upcoming events approaching, one being a career panel I'll be hosting on campus. The Suit Yourself Professional Clothing Award has been a huge help,” Scott said. 

Grace Hayden

Grace Hayden, a senior government and politics and international development and conflict management double major, plans to work on Capitol Hill for a year, then attend law school the next year. 

The “Suit Yourself” Professional Clothing Award came in handy for Hayden as she was invited to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's trip to Salt Lake City, Utah through her internship with the Office of the National Advisory Council. 

“I was able to set aside my award to ‘treat’ myself to these new pieces of clothing so I did not have to worry about taking money out of what I make on campus to look presentable for the meeting in Salt Lake City," she said.  

Zohneseh Fopenawoh

Junior criminology and criminal justice and philosophy, politics, and economics  double major Zohneseh Fopenawoh is an aspiring lawyer. The “Suit Yourself” Professional Clothing Award provided Fopenawoh with the money needed to purchase a business casual wardrobe for an internship as a legal intern with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Fopenawoh said the clothing gave her a “polished appearance” for the internship interview, saying the award “enhanced the versatility of my existing office wardrobe, which is particularly beneficial as I am required to work in an office setting twice a week.”

All Suit Yourself awards have been distributed for the Fall 2023 season. The Feller Center hopes generous donors will be able to continue to fund additional awards in the future. To donate, visit the Feller Center for Advising & Career Planning Support Fund page. 
 

Published on Wed, Nov 29, 2023 - 2:05PM