Hobbies bring GVSU community members joy, help connect virtually

Knitting, gaming, photography. 

Whether it was finding a new hobby or reigniting passion for an old one, some members of the Grand Valley community found their pastime became an avenue to bring joy in a difficult time, connect with people, or a way to stay productive. 

Nate Vedders, a sophomore, has used extra time in his schedule to livestream video gameplay on his Twitch channel, @CaptainKoala8. He streams about three times a week and said he enjoys building a community of people who like the same thing that he does.

By livestreaming on Twitch, Vedders said he has been able to communicate with friends while gaming and has also made new friends. 

“I’ve met so many people from all over the country, all with a passion for games,” Vedders said. 

When alumna Holly Cieslinski’s job closed for a few months due to the pandemic, she used the extra time on her hands to create faux leather earrings with her Cricut machine. 

Cieslinski said she did not intend to start a business when she first started making earrings. However, she had made so many that her husband suggested selling them at a local market. Interest took off from there. 

“Getting creative with my designs helped provide stress relief and brought me so much joy when people liked them enough to buy them,” Cieslinski said. 

If you are a GVSU student, faculty, staff member or alumnus and want to share your hobby for the opportunity to be included in a photo project, fill out this form.