teen spotlight
photography by Nikki P..
notable
Started her own business, Nowhere Girl Photography
her story
Santana Wood. High school senior. Talented photographer.
Entrepreneur. “It all began in my living room after a photo shoot
with my mom,” the young artist said. “We sat there and literally
said, ‘Hey, let’s start a business.’”
The two decided to name the business Nowhere Girl
Photography, inspired by the Beatles song “Nowhere Man” and the
fact that the 18-year-old is, in her own words, “just a girl living in a
small town in the middle of nowhere taking some pictures.”
mother/daughter bonding
“My mom has always been the easiest person to shoot and is one
of my favorite subjects,” Santana said. One of her favorite sessions
with her mother was the vintage-inspired shoot where her mother
wore an “old-timey looking dress” and a hat that had belonged to
her great grandmother.
after graduation
Santana is attending Troy University in the fall where she plans
to major in Early Childhood Education. “My dream job is to be a
pre-school teacher. Kids are my absolute passion, and the thought
of teaching them their shapes and colors and everything else their
little brains need to know makes me so excited.”
in her heart
“I watch ‘Wheel of Fortune’ every night at 6:30 and scream when I
know the answer.”
PG (parental guidance) rating
“My mom is my totally my sidekick. I couldn’t do it without
her. She has always inspired me to be the best at whatever it is
I’m doing, and her confidence in me is what gives me my own
confidence. Never in a million years would I have thought I could
start my own business at 17, but she said to go for it, so I did.”
santana wood
parents’ perspective
Traci Davis recognized her daughter’s knack for photography and encouraged her to pursue it as more than
just a hobby. “It’s something she’s good at, and she puts
her heart and soul into it,” she said. “Whenever you
have a passion for something, that’s what you should be
doing in life.”
Traci and Santana’s stepfather, Jim, note that some of
their proudest moments have been times their daughter
didn’t win a competition or something else she’d