Tabi Segovia

Hobbies and personal talents have a way of sneaking up when people least expect it. Such was the case for University of Houston-Victoria freshman Tabi Segovia.

It was about a year and a half ago when the marketing major paid a visit to her grandfather’s house. He’d just purchased a new digital SLR camera and was anxious to show it off.

“He gave it to me to try, and I played around with it a little,” she said, explaining she’d never worked with anything but a point-and-shoot camera. “Once he saw what I’d done, he told me, ‘I think you might have some talent.’”

After surveying her own work, she thought he might be right. Her passion for the visual art was ignited.

Segovia said macro shots - extreme close-ups of items you might normally pass up – are her favorites, but she enjoys playing around with her skill. With her role as photographer for Jag Wire, UHV’s student-run blog at yourjagwire.blogspot.com, photography is no longer just a hobby.

“They’ve talked about creating a page just for photos,” she said of the blog. “I’m excited to start working a little more on that. We’ve had fun.”

Segovia was born and raised in Plano, just outside of Dallas. She graduated from Plano East Senior High School in 2011 and moved on to UHV to join the Jaguar women’s soccer team.

Although no longer part of the team, she said she still plays in her spare time, taking to the fields with other Jaguar Hall residents. She has played soccer since about fifth grade.

“I enjoy it,” she said. “It’s a good chance to relax and have some fun.”

Looking ahead, Segovia looks forward to continuing her education. Although she is pursuing a marketing degree now, she hopes to eventually do more with photography.

“I’d like to find a way to use both once I graduate, but right now, I’m not sure really what I want to do,” she said.

Segovia advised other students to go after whatever interests them. After all, if there’s an interest, there’s a chance natural ability will come into play.

And you never know how far that can take you.

“It’s worth it to work toward what you like to do,” she said. “Just go for it.”

The UHV Outstanding Student is an online feature highlighting the exceptional students who attend the University of Houston-Victoria. To nominate a student, contact Paula Cobler, UHV interim director of marketing and communications, or call 361-570-4350.