OPELOUSAS, La.— Neveah Sam, 14, works as her own boss as an artist.
Sam started drawing when she was two years old. One of her portraits depicts a safe space for her. “I would draw a mushroom house as my happy place," said Sam. "It’s not a lot of noise, It’s me and my friends. it's a place that calms me down.”
Sam’s mom, Sade Joubert, caught a glimpse of her imagination when they went to Atlanta for an event called “Business Owners For Tomorrow.” When Sam pitched that she wanted a mobile art truck, it was a masterpiece.
“Not in a million years," said Joubert. "It feels like a dream that we are living in.”
Sam’s dreams would quickly turn into reality not long after the Atlanta trip.
“I woke up one night and saw bright lights. I was trying to figure out what was going on, and I saw a blue truck. It was the truck. My mom told me to take what I gave and you and make something great.”
Sam will host an entrepreneurship course in Opelousas on July 20th. Although she is teaching the course, she wants to highlight others with their own businesses.
"There are other teenagers that deserve some recognition for the work that they do," said Sam. "I want them to acknowledge for their work too."
