The College of New Jersey and Princeton Strategic Communications officially established a collaborative, year-round partnership to expand internship opportunities, professional development experiences, and real-world learning for students across TCNJ’s School of the Arts and Communication.
Through the new agreement, PSC will provide TCNJ students, including those participating in the college’s new student-led public relations and design agency, Creative State, with access to paid, hybrid internships and guaranteed interviews for qualified applicants. The partnership also creates pathways for mentorship, guest lectures, mock press conferences, office visits, and other hands-on learning experiences that prepare students for careers in communications, public relations, design, marketing, and related fields.
“Creative State is designed to give our students real-world experience and develop industry connections,” said Pamela Barnett Halladay, dean of the School of the Arts and Communication. “This new partnership with PSC expands that mission in exciting ways, opening doors to professional opportunities that will help our students thrive in their careers after graduation.”
Launched with support from TCNJ alumni Andy ’83 and Maria ’83 Polansky, Creative State brings together student talent from communication studies, journalism and professional writing, digital filmmaking, art, design, and creative technology. Students work under faculty mentorship to develop PR campaigns, design projects, branding initiatives, websites, video content, and other client deliverables, building industry-level skills before graduation.
For PSC, the collaboration with TCNJ underscores the company’s commitment to supporting the next generation of Garden State greats through every step of their education journey, as with the New Jersey Hall of Fame Essay Contest and Areté Scholarship programs, and to strengthening New Jersey’s creative and communications workforce pipeline.
“We’re proud to partner with TCNJ to support their budding designers, communicators, and creative professionals,” said Ethan Andersen, managing partner at PSC. “We’re excited to welcome their students into our agency environment to learn from our team and contribute their own innovative ideas.”
The partnership also carries special meaning for Emaleigh Kaithern ’15, a communications director at PSC and a graduate of TCNJ’s School of Business and School of the Arts and Communication.
“The support and mentorship of my professors and internship advisors at TCNJ laid the foundation for me to pursue a career that I still wake up excited about a decade after graduation,” Kaithern said. “The Creative State program is a perfect example of TCNJ’s commitment to student success, and I’m honored to help provide foundational career experiences to the next generation of Lions.”
The first internship and student engagement opportunities are anticipated to open in early 2026. TCNJ students interested in potential internship opportunities should check PSC’s company profile on Handshake, the college’s clearinghouse for all internship and job opportunities.
About PSC
Princeton Strategic Communications is a Trenton-based, full-service marketing and communications agency with over a decade of experience helping clients navigate complex public landscapes. The firm specializes in media relations, crisis communications, digital strategy, branding, and creative — delivering high-impact work that tells clients’ stories and achieves their goals.
PSC is part of a strategic alliance with PPAG, New Jersey’s largest lobbying firm, and WSW, a bipartisan federal relations firm in Washington, D.C. The three companies offer clients access to a network of 50+ public affairs professionals with deep experience in developing public discourse and influencing opinion leaders.
— Stacey Ehling