Sasha Woodard

Sasha Woodard is a senior at Summit Country Day, as well as a sports photographer and a member of the varsity girls basketball team.

Working in a male-dominated industry, Woodard has experienced her fair share of unequal treatment as a result of her gender. She reports receiving stares and funny looks while on the sideline, something that her male counterparts typically don’t deal with, and expressed her frustration. “I’m often mistaken for a fan, even when I’m carrying my camera,” said Woodard.

She has also noticed that male photographers often receive more attention on social media, regardless of their skill. “It feels like I have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition,” Woodard explains.

Despite the challenges she has faced, she acknowledges that things are getting better. In recent years, she had faced noticeably less discrimination than before. Woodard hopes to continue fighting the stigma against women working in the sports industry by speaking out about her struggles and inspiring other girls to get into photography. “We need to normalize having women in the sports setting,” she said. “It’s so important to have representation, and I think having someone to look up to would have really helped me.” Currently, she is working to build a community of female photographers at Summit, stressing the need for solidarity among women in male-dominated fields.