A Club For Career Preparation and Community Among Textiles Students
Tess Mulligan, president of the Textile Technology and Engineering Society, gives her insight into the connections and opportunities she’s found in the organization.
The Wilson College of Textiles is relatively small compared to its sister colleges, making up only 2.7% of NC State’s enrollment in fall 2025. Though it may be unique, anyone in the field knows the textile industry is ripe with opportunities and innovation.
Preparing students for their future careers, the Textile Technology and Engineering Society (TTES) brings a small cohort even closer together by helping them engage with that abundant industry. As an official organization with the Wilson College of Textiles, the club aims to foster a strong community of students, learn about the professional world and engage with experts.
Rising to the occasion
TTES President Tess Mulligan, a senior studying textile engineering, joined TTES during her first year. Last year, she decided to take on the role of secretary.
“I had thought that TTES was something that I had benefited from, and I generally like to try to give back if I can,” Mulligan says. “I’m also a tutor at the college, and I’m someone who has used the tutoring center quite a bit. So I realize the services that I’ve been provided, and it’s a good thing to be able to try to help give that back.”
As secretary of the club, Mulligan says she learned about communication, organization and leadership skills. Now, as president, she organizes and plans meetings, reaches out to guest speakers, supports other leadership positions and generally shapes the direction of the club. She says she enjoys being a part of a leadership team and working to give members of the club the best experience possible.
TTES is open to anyone, but most members are students majoring in textile engineering or textile technology. They meet every other week to offer students the chance to engage in professional exploration and find opportunities to network.
“We really just create an environment that fosters a place for students to grow, not only as people, but also as students. And outside of that, it’s also just a really good social atmosphere,” Mulligan says.
Building bridges
Mulligan says TTES is a unique space on campus for textile engineering and textile technology students, which is a relatively small major at NC State. For incoming students, having peers with experience in the field is an invaluable resource.
“To have people in this club that have had experience with those things that are specific to the textile industry, I think, is really helpful, and you wouldn’t necessarily get that if you went to a different service for career prep. They wouldn’t understand it as intimately,” Mulligan says
The most popular event of the academic year so far was a resume and interview prep session, hosted just before the college’s career fair in October. The workshop allowed students to get feedback from their peers and have a space to receive advice, practice skills and get information about the fair.
“I think it’s really great to hear advice from everyone: professors, people in the industry. But I also think it’s really helpful to hear advice from your peers as they understand the struggles related to being a student more clearly,” Mulligan says.
Being a part of TTES has provided the chance to interact with and befriend students outside of her year, Mulligan says. To counter the rigid structure of everyday work, where reaching outside of a friend circle can be challenging, TTES provides an environment where networking among peers is encouraged.
“TTES is a really specific space to really develop those friendships and those are the people you’re going to see in industry,” Mulligan says.
Answering common questions
What happens in meetings?
TTES covers topics related to career readiness, interview and resume preparation, job recruiting and school-affiliated opportunities like study abroad and research. Sometimes, they bring in a guest speaker or host specific workshops for students focused on particular skills and areas of growth, like resume building or interview skills.
Who can attend meetings?
Anyone! Most members are students majoring in textile engineering or textile technology, but anyone curious or passionate about textile technology and/or engineering can get involved!
What events can I look forward to?
TTES leadership is planning to offer students the opportunity to visit nearby companies in the textile technology and engineering area of expertise. They also annually host Speed Data-ing, an event where professors present their research to a rotating cast of students. It is one of the ways they expose students to a wide range of research and applications of study in their field.
Where can I find more information?
The Textiles Student Bulletin provides updates about meetings, field trips and other events. If you have questions, you can reach out to the club via email at ttestextiles-org@ncsu.edu.
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