Clothes closet gives Osbourn High School students a professional look

MANASSAS — Now they can dress the part.

Thanks to an enterprising group of students and a Manassas based non-profit “Hire Ground,” Osbourn High School in Manassas has a closet full of professional clothing that students can wear for job interviews, speeches, or trips to visit colleges.

At a ribbon cutting for the closet, Osbourn Principal Joseph Gabalski said “I’m really proud of this,” and added that the closet will be long-lasting.

The drycleaning for clothing in the closet was donated by Zips Dry Cleaners and the racks for the clothes by Stuff Consignment shop. Osbourn High School’s National Technical Honor Society put together the career coaching program which included the closet. Area businesses, to include Micron, donated the clothes. 

Hire Ground Founder Jinnae Monroe has had over 20 years of experience in training people to conduct successful job interviews. She got the idea for the closet when she had students come up to her after interview training and asked if their clothes looked professional.

After inspecting the students, she would gently guide them toward more professional clothing choices, she said. The closet at Osbourn is her first at a high school, but hopefully not the last, she said.=

Since starting this closet, two other schools have asked her for one, she said. She chose Osbourn High School, the only high school in Manassas because it “has her heart.” Monroe also serves on the Manassas City Schools Foundation, which helps to raise money for the school division.  

The closet is open to all the students – but the teens are asked to do one hour of community service per item of clothing they take.