Members of the Case Western Reserve University community are known for their innovative thinking across campus—and these creative mindsets can be seen in their unique and fascinating hobbies outside of work. National Hobby Month is celebrated annually in January, leaving no better time to spotlight some of the talents that inspire our faculty, staff and students.
Their interests, which range from producing amateur radio to crocheting, are as diverse as the individuals who pursue them.
Read on to learn about seven university community members who shared their hobbies with us, and, if you missed it, meet seven others who were featured earlier this month.
Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Hannah Jung
First-year student
I produce a music YouTube channel! After a couple of months of learning how to play ukulele, I began recording song covers with my iPhone 5 in 2019. Fast forward to 2025, and I have 80 uploaded videos! Surprisingly enough, my passion for creating videos influenced me to learn guitar and expose myself to music tools like digital interfaces and music software.
Throughout the years, I also started incorporating short clips of my everyday life into my music videos, and I now treat my channel as a video diary to look back on. My channel is called Hannah Eve. I additionally love to roller skate. Despite my horrible body strength, I was determined to pick up roller skating during quarantine, even if that meant I would take many painful falls (even to this day!). The feeling I get from roller skating is otherworldly; I feel free, enraptured by the nature around me… the thrill I get is similar to the feeling of going on a roller coaster.
Shashank Sastry
Second-year studying biomedical engineering
I am secretary of Case Amateur Radio Club. We use a variety of radio transmitting and receiving equipment to relay messages over long distances using as little power as possible. We are all licensed by the federal government (the FCC to be more specific) to build and experiment with radio transmitting equipment. These activities allow us to work toward our goals of emergency preparedness as we work to test backup power methods to drive these unique communication standards.
We also work on promoting the open source community through attending HAMfests with like-minded amateurs, which allows the exchange of new developments (antennas, transmitters, etc.) and ideas. This is furthered by our work in research and radio “hacking,” wherein we work to develop a greater understanding of the ionosphere (the charged layer of the atmosphere that allows radio communication) as well as to improve our radio equipment to better utilise the ionosphere and the power that we supply to a radio.
Emily Rich
Law acquisitions manager, Judge Ben C. Green Law Library
My hobby is an amalgamation of all things related to the legend of Robin Hood. I have a personal collection of Robin Hood books, and I recently hit a milestone: 80 unique volumes! My collection ranges from the 1890s up through contemporary works, in multiple languages, and across a range of genres and audience levels. I often get the comment, “Wait, I didn’t know there were so many?” Lucky for me, there are hundreds!
At home, I have a “Robin Hood corner” which houses my book collection, media, games and puzzles, antiques, and memorabilia. My favorite character is Maid Marian. I have a shelf dedicated just for books about her, and I’m always hunting for art or works that feature her.
Jessica Martinez
Program manager, Donor Relations
My hobby, when I have the time, is genealogy research. I lost my mother at age 19, and family research was something that I know she was working on earlier in her life. I really love learning about where my family came from. I do all of this research in my “spare time” so it’s a hobby that gets picked up and put down fairly often. I try my hardest to do all of this research without a paid membership to Ancestry.com or DNA testing, which is why it can take so long for me to uncover some pieces of information.
I have had family members send me books and other documents that I’ve looked through to find information. I have a copy of someone’s will from almost 300 years ago. One of my favorite discoveries was that my family has a castle in our history that is still standing in England! I think there is something really beautiful about understanding where you come from. I was never great at understanding my history classes in high school, but learning where my ancestors have come from has made world events much more meaningful to me as I continue to delve into my research.
Kathy Dilliplane
Administrative director of student assessment, School of Medicine
In my spare time, I love to fly stunt kites! When most people think of kites, they probably imagine the kind with one string that stay in one place once they are up in the air. Stunt kites, on the other hand, have two or four strings, depending on the model. The flier can manipulate those strings to make the kite spin, dive, flip, and do all kinds of aerial tricks.
I started flying kites when I was 10 years old, learning alongside my dad on the beach in Cape May, New Jersey. Over the years I’ve flown and collected kites of all shapes and sizes, from little lightning-fast two-line kites to four-line kites with wingspans bigger than I am tall. I’ve even gone hang gliding—hang gliders are basically really big kites that you control with your body instead of with strings!—and I hope to add kiteboarding to my repertoire soon. Most of my kite-flying is more laid-back, though. My favorite thing to do is to put on some music and choreograph kite stunts to go along with it. Flying stunt kites is a great way to spend time outdoors, improve your hand-eye coordination, and put your reflexes to the test. Go fly a kite!
Srila Munukutla
Second-year studying medical anthropology
One of my hobbies is competitive bowling. In high school, I competed in tournaments and championships around the state. I continue to bowl often whenever I go home and compete over the summer. I’ve won several competitions and mentored other girls who wanted to learn the sport.
Outside of bowling, I’ve been sewing since elementary school and have made many garments and outfits completely by hand. I have a sewing machine and use it often in my spare time. In high school, my designs were often featured in the school’s display case. I also love sewing outfits on a smaller scale for dolls and stuffed animals, and have given them out to children in my community.
My last main hobby is poetry. I love creative writing and am pursuing it as a minor here at CWRU. My most impactful experience with poetry was sharing a slam poem I wrote about the struggles I’ve had regarding my name with over 4,000 students and faculty at a Writers Week event. My poetry also ties into my love for activism and women’s rights. At CWRU, I’m on the executive board for the club FEMAL and love using my voice to express my viewpoints in a poetic manner.
Amy Schnupp
Second-year, School of Law
While I started crocheting in 2013, I started crocheting plants in 2023 after I had killed several succulents but still wanted plants in my home. That summer, just before starting law school, I started selling my crocheted plants and I have continued to grow my little plant business since.
I’ve done a few local markets and pop up events at local small businesses, which led to a full time spot at a local small business. My plants were also featured in the Cleveland Botanical Gardens’ gift shop this past holiday season. Even though I focus on plants these days, I really enjoy crocheting in general and I also make sweaters, blankets, and tons of crocheted animals for my niece.