On November 10, 2025, the Polar Career Center announced that they have received a $22,500 donation for their Career Closet, set to be received over the next three years, from the Prescott family.
At the end of the day, the university is the people, and I just think the people are so special.
Michael Prescott
On November 10, 2025, Polar Careers announced through an email that they had received a donation of $22,500, to be received in increments of $7,500 over the course of three years, to be used for their Career Closet, courtesy of Michael and Laurel Prescott.
The Career Closet is a resource for students located on the second floor of Heterick Memorial Library.
“It’s a one-stop shop for students who need professional clothing,” said Director of Career Services Andrea Domachowski. “Sometimes it’s clothing for the career fair, sometimes it’s clothing for an upcoming interview, or even … the polar pitch or a capstone presentation.”
The Career Closet is a free service, according to Domachowski, where students can walk in on their own, browse, and take what they need. Students do not have to return what they take. The service is open as long as the library is, and students also do not have to check in at the Career Center.
Michael Prescott, a 1984 graduate of Ohio Northern University (ONU), and his wife Laurel Prescott decided to make a donation to this resource.
“I’ve been donating for a while,” said Michael Prescott, “and I was looking to start to step up my giving.”
Prescott met with representatives of ONU, including Senior Director of Development Max Lambdin, to discuss various potential donations to the university, eventually deciding on the $22,500 donation to ONU’s Career Closet.
“The generosity of the Prescott family is a tremendous gift to students at ONU to help ensure success during and after graduation,” says Lambdin. “In Advancement we are so grateful to work with our alumni to see their passions realized through giving– and this is a great example of what can happen and the impact a donation and donor can make at the University.”
Before the decision was made, several other options were considered by Prescott and the representatives, including a scholarship in his name.
“It just didn’t strike me right,” Prescott said. “Then they brought up … this Career Closet idea, and I just immediately said ‘That’s it. I want to do that.’ And they said the cost was about, I think, $7,500 a year, and I go, ‘I’ll fund it. I’ll fund the whole thing. Let’s do a multi-year gift.’”
Prescott then explained why the idea resonated with him.
“It just really struck a chord with me,” Prescott said. “I come from a very humble background. I mean, I remember interviewing for jobs, and I’d have to borrow suits. I had to borrow suits from friends, or I had to borrow winter coats if I flew up north somewhere to interview different places … I just think Ohio Northern is a very special place … at the end of the day, the university is the people, and I just think the people are so special. From the President—she’s just amazing—on down, just great people.”