For many students, their daily routine consists of attending class, spending time with friends and doing homework. Some students do all of that while also operating a business.
On a normal day, Ashley Kickliter, senior in graphic design, goes to class while simultaneously answering calls and scheduling appointments. When she returns home, not only is homework looming over her head, but also the photographs from countless weddings, engagements and senior portraits she has to edit.
"The first three years of college, I feel like I missed out on a lot," Kickliter said. "(But) I don't feel like I was meant for a typical college experience anyway."
Kickliter said she has been photographing her friends since high school -- going into backyards, dressed in fashionable clothing, pretending they were "ready for Vogue."
It wasn't until the end of high school that Kickliter said she realized maybe photography was something she was meant to do for the rest of her life.
"Those moments when people tell me, 'You made me feel beautiful,' that's when I'm reminded this is what I was meant to do," Kickliter said.
Deli Wayn Robertson, senior in printmaking, said she too feels the rewards of owning her own business.
"My friend I'm making a Jedi robe for, he's just so excited about it," Robertson said. "Helping somebody else fulfill a personal goal is really fulfilling for me."
Robertson said she didn't start her printmaking business for the money; she started because she loved the craft, which transformed into sharing her passion with others.
Robertson said she enjoys branching out and using her skills to further her business in other areas, such as jewelry, costumes and accessories.
"I really enjoy building friendships with people I'm working with," Robertson said. "I sometimes sell stuff to complete strangers, and it's validating in a way that people are interested enough in what I'm making to give me money for it."
Rose Sweet, senior in studio art, said the pressure of managing a business is not as bad when she is selling items she already had to make for class.
"My best friend approached me and said, 'Let's start a business,'" Sweet said. "I was like, 'Why not?'"
Sweet said she thought ceramics was the last class she would enjoy, but it ended up being her favorite thing in the world.
"I love ceramics because it's a functional art, it has a purpose," Sweet said. "It's not just something that hangs on your wall."
Robertson said she knows the clash between school and owning a business.
Robertson said it is hard to find the time for everything when some projects require weeks of research.
"Take my paper dolls, for example," Robertson said. "They are related to extensive research because I research who the person is and what part of themselves they want to share."
Finding time for extracurriculars or homework is challenging for someone spending more than an hour in the studio for a single image.
Kickliter said many students tend to misunderstand the demanding nature of a photography business.
"There's also all of the editing, packaging, delivering and answering emails and phone calls," Kickliter said.
However, when all of the hard work is over, Kickliter said there's nothing comparable to the feeling she has when she gets to know her clients and their stories and they are completely overjoyed at her work.
"I had a lady call me once, almost in tears, begging me to redo her wedding photos because the photographer they hired hadn't done them how she wanted," Kickliter said. "She is the one who wrote me a letter when she got the photos back and told me she had never felt more beautiful in her life."
A month after receiving the letter, Kickliter said she found out the couple she photographed had both just gotten out of cancer remission without relapsing.
"That hit my heart even further when I realized why she may have had such a hard time with her self-image," Kickliter said.
Kickliter said it is the moments like those that make all of the work and struggle of owning a business in school worth it.
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