Student’s Love of Fashion Inspires Community Effort

Wilson College hosted the fashion show “Dress for Success” on May 1 in Allen Auditorium. Amber Heinbaugh ‘15 organized the show, with the help of Kristin Guthrie, Director of Career Development Services, as part of her environmental sociology class project, taught by Chair of Environmental Studies, Professor Edward Wells.

Heinbaugh works as a manager at the retail store Rue 21, and the lack of business attire at the store inspired her project. “I love clothes, and I have been seeing people with lower income come in and try to find business attires, which we obviously don’t sell,” Heinbaugh said. Her project focuses on helping students with low income find inexpensive formal clothes, and educates them about preparing for job interviews and formal meetings.

Heinbaugh collected business attire clothing through generous donations from the Wilson community and her church, Mt Olivet United Brethren. She adds, “I was so surprised by how many clothes people donated!”

Four Wilson students volunteered to be models and showed off some outfits at the beginning of the event. Then, Guthrie followed up with a presentation on interview tips and strategies. She talked about frequent questions asked during interviews, researching companies, and follow-up after the interviews.

“Part of my office is dispersing information on professional development topics, and Amber’s project was complimentary to that,” Guthrie said.

Heinbaugh distributed some of clothes to students, as well as to the Chambersburg community, and donated the rest of them to the Salvation Army.

The project was a great opportunity for students to have fun while gaining valuable experience on the professional side.

For more information on the “Dress for Success” fashion show, contact Amber Heinbaugh at amber.heinbaugh@wilson.edu