New Regalia Loan Program for Students in Need

Written by: Qulea Anderson

[lead]Thanks to a great idea from NC State’s Student Government, NC State students will now be able to access graduation regalia for free! [/lead]

The Career Development Center has partnered with Alex Obiol of Student Government and the campus bookstore to launch the new initiative. Brianna Pearson, a graduate assistant employed at the Center, has created a process for tracking student requests and issuing caps, gowns, and tassels. Students must return gowns after use but are allowed to keep their caps and tassels. New caps and tassels will be provided for each student. Students can then decorate and personalize their caps, enabling them to participate in the annual tradition for undergraduate and graduate students alike.

Pearson says the initiative offers a welcome bit of relief to students struggling with post-graduation issues and the costs of applying to graduate school. While all students will be able to take advantage of the free regalia, students enrolled in select student support programs will be given priority.

[pullquote cite=”Brianna Pearson” color=”wolfpackred” align=”alignright”]Our expectation is that this free resource will continue, so students can depend on it for graduation.[/pullquote]

According to Pearson, 15 students have signed up and received their regalia so far: “Our expectation is that this free resource will continue, so students can depend on it for graduation.” The Career Development Center also houses another student resource, the “Wolfpack Styled” Professional Clothing Closet. There, students can pick out and take home business wear at no cost.

Kyana Miller, a student in the TRIO program, described the process as quick and easy. “It takes two minutes,” she says. She provided Pearson with her student ID number and some other basic information, including her height – necessary for getting the right size gown. By the time she completed the form, Miller’s regalia was ready.

As the initiative is in the early stages, an email invitation will be sent to students to sign up and take advantage of this resource. Pearson advises students to keep an eye on their email. More invitations will be sent as the program grows and more regalia is donated. If you are interested in donating your graduation robe to the closet, please contact Brianna Pearson at career-development@ncsu.edu.

To learn more about the Career Development Center and its resources, go to careers.dasa.ncsu.edu.