Bryant & Stratton College Launches Community Career Closet on Southside & Peninsula

Hampton/Virginia Beach, VA (February 28, 2019) – The Hampton & Virginia Beach campuses of Bryant & Stratton College will be hosting two separate ribbon cutting events to commemorate their official launch of Gayle’s Closet, a campus initiative that helps students and local residents obtain professional clothing for interviews, career fairs and first jobs from a variety of donated professional career attire for men and women.

Wednesday, March 20^th noon to 1pm – Virginia Beach Campus Ribbon Cutting

Thursday, March 21^st noon to 1pm – Hampton Campus Ribbon Cutting

“Gayle’s Closet was created based on evaluation of student need and a demonstrated interest by community members to support men & women with clothing donations”, said Ronda Toll, market director for BSC career services department, “Clothes from Gayle’s Closet won’t change the world, but the person wearing them might”.

The career closet initiative was named in honor of the late Gayle Cheeks-Harrell, a Virginia Beach native who was a veteran vocational program director/counselor, career specialist and overall friend of BSC, who donated all of her professional career attire to this exclusive resource program. Among other contributors, donations were also received from the staff of Gayle’s former employer, The Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) of the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth through a department wide fundraiser and clothing drive coordinated in her honor.

For hours of operation, to make career clothes donations or if you are interested in visiting Gayle’s Closet, please contact the campus Career Service departments directly at 757.896.6001 (Hampton) or 757.499.7900 (Virginia Beach).

For 170 years, Bryant & Stratton College has offered students access to career-relevant education leading to bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and professional certificates in the fields of healthcare, business, criminal justice, design, financial services, hospitality, human resources, paralegal studies and information technology. In addition to access to education, Bryant & Stratton College offers students access to tools to help ensure their greatest chance at success through their Career LifePrep® program. Bryant & Stratton works with students to best map individual career paths – teaching the soft skills employers value most, helping establish valuable professional connections and internships and offering career services support even after graduation. Bryant & Stratton College is committed to helping students succeed in their education and beyond.

For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, please visit Student Right To Know.