JULY 27 • 2023 | 65

W

hen asking people to share a few 
words about Sara Young, it is 
hard to believe the responses are 
all about one person. 
“Sara came into our life on a fluke pass-
ing, and now has become an integral part of 
our business,
” shared Dan Weiand, owner 
of Whole Hearted Winery in New Hudson, 
Michigan. Dan now relies on Sara for “han-
dling all of our laser etching, nuts and running 
a top-five comedy room in Metro Detroit.
” 
Sara is a woman of broad talents and pro-
fessional pursuits. From creating custom art to 
performing stand up and storytelling, to roast-
ing and selling nuts, Sara is living her best life. 
Through her trained eye and skilled hands, 
she brings lasting memories to the customers 
of SYS Custom Etching and Engraving and 
Gracie’s Good Eats.

GROWING UP IN DETROIT
Sara was born in Detroit and grew up in Oak 
Park until her sophomore year of high school 
when her family moved to West Bloomfield.
Her maternal grandmother belonged to 
the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. Sara 
recalls her grandmother kept kosher at home. 
“But,
” she joked, “when dining out, she con-
sidered shrimp delicious.
”
When Sara was given the option to have a 
bat mitzvah party or a “Sweet 16,
” she opted 
for the Sweet 16. 
Her parents-in-law grew up in Orthodox 
homes in Coney Island, New York, 
and became founding members of the 
Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of 
Metro Detroit, previously known as the 
Birmingham Temple. 
While not particularly involved in tradition-
al practice herself, Sara said she feels spiritual 
and protected and guarded, especially by her 
paternal grandfather of blessed memory. He 
was born in Poland and turned 13 on the boat 
that brought him to the United States. He had 
his bar mitzvah on the boat, and that was the 
end of religious ritual in his life. 
At least three times in her life, Sara nar-
rowly avoided death. She credits her saving 
grace to an inner voice she listened to in each 
of those moments. That voice, she discovered 
in 2022 when she came across a cassette tape, 
belonged to her grandfather.

BECOMING AN ARTIST
Sara struggled in school. “I’ve always been a 
writer,
” she recalls. “I started writing before I 
could hold a pen.
” 
Her grades at West Bloomfield High School 
did not reflect that aptitude. She once stopped 

in to thank her teacher Ruth Leinweber for 
giving her a D, which allowed her to graduate 
on time. Mrs. Leinweber responded, “You are 
why I teach.
” Another student, there at the 
same time, was crying over an A-. 
Sara’s higher education pursuits includ-
ed time at Western Michigan University, 
Michigan State University and Eastern 
Michigan University. Yet, around 2001, the 
class that ultimately shaped her future was an 
adult education community class in stained 
glass making. She was a disaster at stained 
glass. The instructor said she wasted more 
solder than anyone else in his 25 years of 
teaching. 
On the last day of the class, the group 
learned how to etch glass. “This I can do!” 
Sara said. This was the start of a profession-
al journey that over the years expanded to 
include the full breadth of services Sara offers 
through SYS Custom Etching and Engraving. 
 
A ‘STAND-UP’ WOMAN 
Kari Brink first met Sara through the stand-
up community. When she learned about 
Sara’s business, she ordered a custom gift for 
her partner, who is an avid sax player. “The 
saxophone piece she created for Daryl is just 
breathtaking,
” Kari said. “It is so intricate 
that it’s almost unbelievable how quickly she 
created it for me to give to him. It was a 49th 
birthday present for him and he loved it.
” 
“Sara is fantastic!” proclaims Ree Ledbetter. 
“I know Sara from her 
delightful humor on the 
Detroit comedy scene but 
didn’t realize she was also 
a talented artist. I bought 
some wonderful etching 
gifts from her during the 
holidays. When I saw 
her recent 3D art, I knew 
I was going to have to 
have some work com-
missioned.
” Two of the 
3D art pieces Ree bought 
were a camera and T-Rex. 
 
“When I approached her, 
she asked if I had a specif-
ic design in mind or did 
I want her to surprise me. I decided to trust 
her vision, and I couldn’t be happier with the 
details and quality of her work!”
One of Sara’s clients is Rescue Me!, a group 
that gives money toward rescuing all breeds 
of animals, including dogs, cats, horses, birds 
and farm animals. “I do frames and orna-
ments for them,
” Sara said. The work of the 
organization is close to her heart. 

Sara loves to cus-
tomize and accessorize 
everything around her. 
Her beloved yellow Jeep, 
named Marigold, is cov-
ered in decals Sara made 
herself. From a tie-dyed 
Great Lakes surrounding 
Michigan over the spare wheel cover to a row 
of yellow duckies across the front windshield, 
Sara’s art decorates her life and the world all 
around her. 

Meet Sara at the Westland Farmers Market. Visit SYS 

Custom Etching and Engraving LLC at sys-etching.com/. 

Shop Gracie’s Good Eats at www.graciesgoodeats.com/. 

Follow Sara’s stand up and storytelling performances 

through facebook.com/SaraYoungProductions. 

Gracie’s 
Gone Nuts

Miriam’s Hand by Sara Young

Sara Young 
by her Jeep 
“Margiold”

YEVGENIYA GAZMAN

