Lander University students in need of professional clothing for internships or job interviews had their pick of free attire on April 3, thanks to the university's Call Me MISTER program.
According to Gavin Bethea, Call Me MISTER participants take part in a community service project each semester. The group has previously volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army and the Greenwood Soup Kitchen. "For this project, we wanted to make sure Lander students had the clothes they need to make a good impression," Bethea said. "Members of the campus and local community definitely stepped up, as we had plenty of dress shirts, suits, ties and pants to give away."
Call Me MISTER, an acronym for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models, is designed to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader, more diverse background, in hopes of improving the quality of instruction in the state's lowest-performing schools.
Students selected for the program agree to gain certification and teach a year in South Carolina public schools for every year they are in the program, which provides financial aid and academic support to participants.