For many high school students, holding a job becomes a significant part of their lives. Students often turn to traditional high school careers as a consistent way to earn money; however, some high schoolers have taken a more creative approach and created entrepreneurial opportunities for themselves.

In the last year, Junior Sloan Woodward started his company Longtails Clothing Co. Through this company Woodward produces custom made t-shirts that are uniquely designed and bleached upon request.

“I’ve always been a pretty creative person and I first started creating my own t-shirts and designs around a year ago but didn’t start selling them until around August this year,” Woodward said. “It’s just a way to express my creativity and make a little money on the side.”

Woodward drew from his natural creativity and it has given him the opportunity to experiment with different ideas and turn them into a way to make money that complements his busy high school schedule.

“This has been a rewarding experience because it is a good way to model entrepreneurship without having high pressure to succeed, since I’m still in high school,” Woodward said.

Senior Isabelle Martin has also turned one of her hobbies, photography, into a job. She’s been doing photography for several years and began booking senior portrait sessions with fellow students this past summer as a way to earn money.

“It’s the perfect job for a high schooler like myself. It’s 100 percent flexible because I get to set up the days that I am available and figure out a time that works between the client and I,” Martin said.

The continuing rise of social media use has opened even more doors for these students as it allows them to promote their work in new ways.

For both Woodward and Martin, social media serves as a main source of advertisement.

“Social media has helped my business grow beyond my imagination in the last year, and I don’t think that I would’ve been able to reach the amount of people that I have through my own personal accounts,” Martin said.

For Martin, exploring photography as a career during high school has made her realize how much she would enjoy doing it in the future.

“It wasn’t until I landed a huge photography deal this summer with the company Copper River Fleece that I realized this could be my future career,” she said. “I would love to do photography full time for a career after school.”