Syeisha Byrd dedicates herself to bringing positivity and creativity to those around her through community work. © 2024 Fei Chan.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — One of Syeisha Byrd’s most special memories crocheting was making her first project, a granny square blanket, as a kid.
“It was one granny square that I just kept going around and around and around, and it looked like a butterfly, like a floppy butterfly. And I came home from school because I was crocheting in school, and I showed my mom,” Byrd said. “She was so excited and loved it, although I thought it was awful, she made me feel like it was the best thing ever, and so that encouraged me to continue to crochet.”
Byrd comes from a line of crocheters, having learned how to crochet at 8 years old from her mother and grandmother. What many just have as a casual hobby opened up a world of possibilities for Byrd.
“It’s allowed me to write grants, run programming for youth and their moms, intergenerational grandmothers and teenagers,” Byrd said. “It’s allowed me to teach at Syracuse University and to do things like make my kids Halloween costumes – they were Ninja Turtles one year – and to hand out warm hats to the homeless.”
Byrd is the newly appointed commissioner of Syracuse’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs. But, this is just one of the many jobs she holds.
She is also the instructor for Crocheting for a Cause, a one-credit course that students who are part of SU’s Renée Crown University Honors Program can take. It is typically offered once a year only during the fall semester and is highly sought after, with there always being a waitlist in the four years Byrd has been teaching it.
In Crocheting for a Cause, students crochet items to donate to the community, especially for the upcoming cold Syracuse winter months. © 2024 Fei Chan.
Tyler Branigan, a sophomore honors student, waited weeks for a seat to open for the class and has found his patience well worth it.
“I just really love everyone in the class, I like how supportive and how safe it always feels,” Branigan said. “But I just like that we’re encouraged to try new things and try things in our own way too.”
Byrd’s hopes for her students are that they learn to build relationships with their peers and take the class time to relieve stress.
Trisha Balani, an honors sophomore, has been able to learn from others she never would have encountered otherwise.
“I feel like there’s a lot of people with different majors in [class], and they’re always talking about really interesting things, and so just being open to listening to people who you like might not normally cross paths with [has helped],” Balani said.
Both Branigan and Balani highlighted granny squares as their favorite crochet skill they’ve learned so far. The students’ granny squares will be combined into scarves to be donated. © 2024 Fei Chan.
However, still at the core of the class is giving back to the local community – each of the items students make are donated.
“You know, often students are on campus for four years and they don’t get out into the community, so to be able to take those items, hats and scarves, and keep somebody warm in the community is amazing,” Byrd said.
Branigan emphasized that the class has made a significant impact on him. He said that the class has helped solidify what his role could look like beyond the university bubble from actively donating and participating, connecting assignments with the community.
But, that wouldn’t be possible without Byrd’s dedication to service.
“She’s one of the best people who’s so motivated by justice and by equity, and she’s just such a good presence to learn from, because it extends beyond crochet – it extends into good citizenship,” Branigan said.
Byrd has students present about different crochet charities to give them ideas for organizations they can donate to so they can continue to be involved even after they are no longer in the class. © 2024 Fei Chan.
Another one of Byrd’s other community involvements include co-founding Off the Hook Crochet Club, a fiber art club that teaches others how to crochet and occasionally does pop up events around the city. Byrd also previously worked with Helio Health teaching those recovering from drug addiction to learn how to use their hands and has taught for Boys and Girls Club Syracuse as a site director.
Eventually, Byrd hopes to create a crochet lounge where people can socialize, enjoy a milkshake or smoothie, learn to crochet and/or showcase and sell their art – a goal she is already working towards by taking a weekly business class, and just another way she strives to bring light to those around her.
“I laugh a lot. I smile all the time, and partly because there’s so much to be sad about, right? But I try to keep a positive outlook that glass for me is always full,” Byrd said.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Syeisha Byrd crochets with heart to bridge communities
SYEISHA BYRD: I started crocheting when I was around 8 years old. My grandmother was a crocheter and my mother had learned from my grandmother, and I always just found it appealing, I wanted to learn and make things like my mom. I looked up to my mom a lot so I started crocheting. I don’t know it’s just so…crocheting helps me relieve stress. It helps bring down anxiety for me and it feels good to be able to make something and hand it to someone.
SYEISHA BYRD: With the crochet class, I hope students are learning, first of all, to build relationships with other students in the class. It’s really about knowing who’s sitting next to you and how can you work together to build something or make something. How do you build those positive relationships around campus so that you know each other’s names — that’s number one.
SYEISHA BYRD: Number two is really the stress relief. Students are under a lot of stress and if I can give them just, you know, an hour and a half to relieve that, I think that’s amazing. And then third is giving back to the community. You know, often students are on campus for four years and they don’t get out into the community, so to be able to take those items, hats and scarves, and keep somebody warm in the community is amazing.