New Internship Partnership with The Post and Courier Kicks Off at USCB
The Post and Courier, South Carolina鈥檚 largest independent media company, has partnered with the 黄瓜视频 Beaufort in an innovative internship program. Two USCB Communication Studies students are the first to take advantage of this opportunity that benefits both undergraduates and the newspaper industry.
USCB is participating in The Post and Courier's University Partnership initiative, which launched in January 2025. Through this statewide effort, the company collaborates with higher education institutions to offer immersive, real-world training to aspiring journalists and marketing and advertising professionals.
"Our internship partnership with USCB has been a valuable addition," said Natalie Woods, Publisher & Digital Sales Director of The Post and Courier Beaufort County. "It has been rewarding to help develop emerging talent, and we appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the college."
Kayla Sheriffe and Tia Simmons, both seniors, are the university's first interns with The Post and Courier. They worked at the company's Bluffton office on Calhoun Street, where the regional edition for Beaufort County is produced. Sheriffe works in news under the guidance of editor and reporter Tony Kukulich.
"I have learned that journalism stories are organized completely differently from English essays or creative writing," Sheriffe said. "Journalism has its own structure."
Kukulich said that he enjoyed working with Sheriffe, his first intern, and the experience taught him "not to assume or take anything for granted."
Simmons worked in marketing and advertising, mentored by Woods and account executive Shelby Maloney. She shadowed them during visits to local businesses nominated for The Post and Courier's annual "Beaufort County's Best" contest and those that became winners.
"It was exciting to discuss ways they can partner with our publication and celebrate their achievements," she said.
Simmons also participated in community events, including the Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival, where The Post and Courier had a table.
"Tia has brought a fresh perspective," Woods said. "She provided meaningful support for our team."
At a time when newspapers and other media outlets are struggling with staffing cuts, The Post & Courier's program helps by enlarging its staff and developing journalists and marketing professionals of the future. The Post & Courier's University Partnership program requires higher education institutions to fund their interns' stipends.
USCB's Academic Affairs Office decided to participate in the internship program because it meets a critical need in the development of emerging journalists and fits with the university's mission to provide students with hands-on professional experience during their college years.
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CW 10/28/25