Meet Madeline Merckling, a senior at De Soto High School who also runs her own business selling her artwork.

Running a business while also being a full-time student may seem stressful and hard, but Merckling manages to do both successfully.

“[Painting] is just kind of like a fun hobby of mine because it’s not really what I want to do in the future, but I always want to have that with me since it’s a good stress reliever,” Merckling said.

Typically sticking with watercolors, Merckling likes to paint things from nature and also enjoys hand lettering. Anyone can buy her original paintings or prints from her website or her business Instagram.

After graduating high school, Merckling plans to pursue a degree in engineering. Painting will still be part of her life, as she will continue to sell her artwork on the side.

“Doing art is kind of what keeps me sane from all this math … so having that is always important,” Merckling said.

Although starting a business might seem near impossible, Merckling tells students who aspire starting their own business, “Just go for it. There’s a lot of procrastination to wait … but just start and you’ll get better from there; you’ll grow and it will work out.”

Merckling has had help from her parents and some teachers. Her parents have a blog and helped her set up the website where she sells her artwork. During her junior year she had the help of art teachers Heathyr Shaw and Tim Mispagel.

“I advised her on cost … And how to take into consideration the value of her time … But a lot of it’s been on her,” Mispagel said.

Original copies of Merckling’s artwork are sold on her website, along with prints for a cheaper price.

For students trying to start a business, Merckling is a great person to look up to. She has been very successful and enjoys working when she can, spending anywhere from four to eight hours on one painting.

Merckling sets a good example for future students and encourages people to just get out there and do what they’re passionate about.