USC Press StepsUP for First-Gen Low-Income Students

November 8, 2024 | by uscpress

After a full year of planning, fundraising, and still more planning, University of South Carolina Press is proud to announce that their undergraduate internship is now a paid opportunity!

The goal for this endeavor is to break down barriers that make the publishing industry inaccessible for first-generation, low-income students. Initiated by Dianne Wade, USC Press marketing assistant and former first-generation, low-income student, the USC Press paid internship program opens a unique educational experience to many more University of South Carolina students.

After growing up in Oklahoma, a state with few book career opportunities, and experiencing an intense job search hampered by COVID restrictions, Wade describes publishing as “a competitive industry to break into.” The industry relies heavily on network building, and for some publishing hopefuls, networking is a challenge for a variety of reasons. So often first-generation, low-income students are forced to make the hard decision between needing a paycheck or growing their career. Now, with the internship stipend, the University of South Carolina Press hopes to alleviate some of that burden.

Donations given to the press during the university’s Give4Garnet annual giving campaign will fund a $1,000 stipend to each Spring 2025 semester intern. Fundraising efforts to support the paid internship program are ongoing as the team focuses on growing the funds and expanding the program to meet the needs of University South Carolina students.

By breaking down socioeconomic barriers, USC Press StepsUP for students and publishing hopefuls at the University of South Carolina.