UToledo Career Services and the Rocket Style Career Closet are dedicated to assisting UToledo students through a comprehensive approach to career development as they navigate their professional paths.
Serving as an on-campus resource, Rocket Style Career Closet offers UToledo students the opportunity to select identity-affirming professional clothing items at no cost to them, preparing them for upcoming interviews, career fairs, professional conferences or new jobs.
The Rocket Style Career Closet offers UToledo students the opportunity to select identity-affirming professional clothing items at no cost to them, preparing them for upcoming interviews, career fairs, professional conferences or new jobs.
“Every student deserves to feel empowered and confident in their professional attire,” said Morgan Sowers, graduate assistant of Rocket Style Career Closet. “Rocket Style provides a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone can express their unique identity through clothing, empowering individuals to feel confident and professional.”
The success of Rocket Style is attributed to the generous contributions of various donors, including faculty, alumni, law firms, corporations and members of the community. Notable among these supporters are the law offices of Foley & Robinette, P.C., who have consistently donated professional clothing over the past few years, and Norfolk Southern, whose generous monetary donation ensures a diverse range of styles and sizes for UToledo students.
Joseph DeToto’s contribution is an example of how donors can impact students with professional attire.
In honor of his late wife, Margie Kaye Miller-DeToto, a distinguished alumna of UToledo, DeToto generously donated her professional wardrobe. Miller-DeToto received her education at The University of Toledo, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1982, graduating as class valedictorian. Miller-DeToto worked for Owens-Illinois for 20 years before venturing into entrepreneurship with her own consulting firm specializing in project management. Additionally, she worked for the Cleveland Clinic Health System in various positions from electronic health record analyst to supervisor of health information management. DeToto saw an opportunity to honor his wife’s memory by giving back to the community she cherished.
“I knew how much joy these clothes brought to my wife during her career,” he said. “She had about every color of shoes and suits you could think of. I’m glad that her clothes are going to people who will benefit from wearing her clothes.”
The overwhelming support from more than 40 individuals and groups over the past year has allowed Rocket Style Career Closet to expand its offerings and better cater to the needs of UToledo students as appointments for professional clothing have increased 40% this academic year, 2023-2024, compared to last year.
As the initiative continues to evolve, its core mission remains unchanged: providing UToledo students free access to professional attire.
For those interested in contributing to the mission of Rocket Style by donating professional attire or monetary donations, please visit the Rocket Style Career Closet website.
