By Mae Giorgi, SCPA Intern
Coastal Carolina University Senior Madison Sharrock said that her eight-week SCPA Foundation internship was an invaluable experience that helped her gain more confidence and skills as a journalist.
Sharrock spent her summer as an intern at the Coastal Observer in Pawleys Island where her responsibilities included attending events, interviewing members of the community, writing articles mainly focused on local politics and proofing pages prior to publication. 
Sharrock said this internship – where she wrote about the significance of boiled peanuts to Southern culture and interviewed Rep. Russell Fry – allowed her to immerse herself in community journalism.
“I’m originally from Ohio, yet I immediately felt a sense of welcoming from the Pawleys Island community – the newsroom quickly felt like home,” she said. “I stepped out of my comfort zone because I had only written for my college newspaper, The Chanticleer, and was even invited into the homes of my sources where I was offered genuine hospitality.”
Sharrock worked under the guidance of Charles Swenson, owner and editor of the Coastal Observer.
“She has an open and empathetic manner that people respond to. We went together to cover some stories, but she needed no prompting from me to talk with the right people and ask the right questions,” Swenson said. “Overall, she had a level of skill and maturity that is uncommon in many working journalists and certainly rare in interns. Her position as editor of the CCU newspaper contributed to that, but I judge her personality to be the principal factor.”
Sharrock said the most beneficial experience was making connections with local residents, politicians and officials.
“It was hard to find someone Charles didn’t know!” she noted.
Her favorite assignment was writing a profile on Black River State Park ranger John Moon.
Additionally, she enjoyed learning about the programs used to edit stories and the process of sending pages to the publisher. 
“This has been invaluable in developing a strong network of sources,” she said. “Words cannot describe the feeling I get when I see my printed articles in front of me: my hard work becomes tangible.
“Most of all, I’m leaving with a profound gratitude for publications such as the Observer that are still run by its original owners to this day. I’ve realized the amount of trust this area puts into Charles and Squeaky Swenson, and how hard they work to maintain that trust since 1982. I may be leaving with a heavy heart, but we are already working on collaborating again soon.”