JSU partners with Trustmark to get students career and corporate ready

William H.Kelly III

JSU Public Relations

Jackson State University’s Tiger Career Closet, in partnership with Trustmark bank, hosted up to 128 registered student participants during a three-day open house event in the Jacob L. Reddix building at JSU from Tuesday, Feb. 6-8.

“Trustmark so graciously volunteered to help us assist our students as they come in and peruse the closet and get clothing items so that they can use them for any career development activity such as career fairs, interviews, and anything jobrelated that our students are trying to do,” Lashanda Jordan, Ph.D., director of the Career Services Center said. “So, we deeply thank them for coming in and helping us out. They’ve been here since 10 am and just sharing their time interacting with students on our behalf and assisting our students.”

Over three days, students were greeted by eight Trustmark representatives, along with JSU faculty and staff from the Career Services Center, from 10 am to 3 pm to get styled and equipped with the latest business attire needs.

“This is our first time partnering with a corporate partner to come in and help us man the career closet. I think it shows our students that our corporations, such as Trustmark, are invested in their well-being. They want to know and be involved in what we have going on across campus, so it just really signifies a strong partnership between Jackson State and our corporate partners,” said Jordan.

April McClung, vice president, diversity officer, and talent acquisition manager at Trustmark, was thrilled to assist students in looking the part for future business opportunities with an engaging, fun, and hands-on approach.

“It’s our pleasure to partner with the JSU’s Tiger Career Closet and volunteer today to assist students in their clothing selection for future professional events and interviews. Our hope is to provide tips on professional dress versus business casual and tips on how to style your personal brand. We enjoyed this event and look forward to future events that will aid students in transitioning from campus to career.”

Many students arrived at the career closet to prepare themselves for future happenings around campus, such as the Career Expo on Feb. 16. The expo will introduce students to over 127 potential employers from around the country who are visiting Jackson State to recruit students for full-time jobs, part-time jobs, and internship opportunities. The event will be held in the Walter Payton Center gym.

Sophomore MaKenna Collins, an earth systems science major, came to the open house for a suit and to prepare for a presentation during the annual Mississippi

Academy of Science meeting, where she’ll discuss climate variability and severe weather impacts in the southeast region of the United States. The presentation will be held on Feb. 23 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“As a college student, financially, it’s a great opportunity to get free clothing. I actually have gift cards to go to other stores, but this is right next to my dorm, and they have really good stuff in there,” said Collins. Students can utilize the career closet throughout the school year by visiting the Tiger Career Closet website to schedule an appointment.