Wichita State senior Abby White is helping other women succeed through her work as a communication and development intern at Dress for Success Wichita.

Dress for Success Wichita is a non-profit organization that provides donated business wear to women who are entering or returning to the workplace. With a new sense of confidence, these women can make a great first-impression and land a new job that could change their lives.

“My older cousin has always been a positive role model in the workforce for me,” says Abby, who is majoring in integrated marketing communication and minoring in graphic design. “I saw that she was a board member with Dress for Success and wanted to learn more.”

Abby initially began as a volunteer, sorting items and helping with various office duties such as reaching out to clients, and was soon offered an internship to further expand her passion of helping others.

Now she develops social media posts promoting DFSW on Facebook. Some of the challenges Abby has faced include configuring the programs that keep track of donations and developing a social media marketing plan. But each challenge has helped her improve.

“I think that it is important to get real-world work experience while in college because you’re ahead once graduation comes around,” she says. “I now have so much more experience that I can put on my resume and talk about with future employers. Internships can be hard to come by, but don’t get discouraged. I would advise stepping out of your comfort zone and volunteering.”