Arizel Corniel and Carly Rogalla of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
By: David Russell
DECA is a national business club for high school students to learn leadership and real-world business skills, and part of the program consists of numerous career days where students are asked to dress in professional clothes for a grade.
However, not all students can afford such clothes, so aspiring business leaders and Marjory Stoneman Douglas juniors and DECA members Arizel Corniel and Carly Rogalla stepped up to make the business attire recycling program, ‘Career Closet,’ to give their classmates an equal chance to shine.
“We noticed that this was a problem in a community where the average household income was over $200,000, so we couldn’t imagine how severe this issue would be in lower-income communities,” Corniel said.
The two are collecting new and gently used business clothing throughout the school year and collaborating with organizations such as Dress for Success, Broward Outreach Center, and Women in Distress to help as many people as possible.
Beyond MSD, the girls have continued to organize donations with other DECA clubs across the country to see its mission through.
To donate, call Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s front office at 754-322-2280.
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