Jaden Wood never thought that her career would involve looking through lenses — lenses for glasses, that is. All it took was a camera lens to set her on the right path. 

Wood is a graduating senior, studying optometry, while also being a freelance photographer.

Wood had a humble start in photography by taking pictures of almost anything, like animals, using her mom’s phone, and from there, it became a passion for her. 

“I eventually bought my own camera in, I think, high school and since then, I just take pictures now and then,” Wood said. “I’ve done senior pictures, I’ve taken my own senior pictures and I’ve taken other people’s.” 

While she hasn’t done many photography projects, she is still interested in the similar functions of the human eye and a camera lens. 

“It’s actually photography that kind of inspired my career into optometry,” Wood said. “I was interested in how a camera lens kind of functions similarly to a human eye and I kind of just went from there.”

Wood’s boyfriend, Caleb Vancuren, said he’s excited to see Wood take the next steps in her academic career. 

“She is probably one of the smartest and most hardworking (people) I’ve ever met and pursues her goals with a passion that I find admirable,” Vancuren said in a text exchange to The Sunflower.  

After Wood graduates from Wichita State, she plans on attending Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma to study in the College of Optometry.