Caprice Hibbler did not take a conventional approach to education.
She dropped out of high school during the 12th grade, but found the motivation to try again during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“God just spoke to me and said, ‘Get up girl, it’s time,'” Hibbler said.
In 2020, Hibbler returned to school and earned her high school equivalency diploma. She then enrolled at Onondaga Community College for an associate’s degree and as of May has a bachelor’s degree in communications and rhetoric from Syracuse University.
He is currently pursuing a master’s degree at SU’s SI Newhouse School of Public Communications. But being a student is just one of the many hats Hibbler wears.
“I’ve always been a trickster,” Hibbler said. “I do hair, makeup, baking—I do it all. And I’m really good at art.”
Hibbler is the program manager for Syracuse Art Projecta nonprofit organization partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Syracuse and the Young Women’s Christian Association of Syracuse that brings after-school arts education to local youth enrolled in both programs.
Since working with TAPS, Hibbler estimates she has worked with more than 1,000 children through after-school programs and from servicing events through the TAPS booth.
Her involvement with TAPS initially began as something temporary. Co-founder Hughie Stone Fish asked Hibbler if he knew of any artists who could teach at the Boys & Girls Club, but after no one accepted the offer, Hibbler decided to fill in until another teacher could take over.
“When I started going there, I fell in love with the kids and I saw myself because I was a kid going to a program like that when I was little, and I know what those teachers and their consistency meant to me,” Hibbler said. “Waking up every day and seeing the same faces made me feel at home.
From there, Hibbler taught art once a week and was promoted to coordinator, which then led her to her current position as program manager. She now supervises several artists who teach children all forms of art, including painting, drawing, dancing and singing.
In her role as Hibbler, she saw firsthand how art can change lives.
“It gives kids freedom of expression,” Hibbler said. “A lot of kids don’t have that outlet, a lot of parents don’t do art with their kids. People just go home and they’re so caught up in everyday life, so being able to do art with kids and express themselves leaves the kid happy.”
A common thread between Hibbler’s current and past roles is mentoring youth, which she was drawn to not only because of the impact on the community, but because she wanted to be a role model herself as a young adult.
Emphasizing the reliability of her presence in her students’ lives, Hibbler recalled stories of children running up to hug her and share their curiosity, asking questions ranging from where she got her shoes to where she’s been.
“Usually I don’t have to go in, but I decided to go in to keep the relationship with the kids and show them that I’m consistent in their lives and I’ll always be consistent in their lives as long as they’re part of the program,” Hibbler said.
Hibbler previously served as a public affairs specialist at the Girl Empowerment Mentoring Society. The program will take high school young women through lessons in debutantes and etiquette, culminating in a prom.
“Having that kind of representation and strong black women around me, pushing them to want better — I think I would have gone a lot further a lot sooner, but I think it’s just God’s timing,” Hibbler said. “I’m definitely where I’m supposed to be and I’m aligned with where I’m supposed to be right now.”
But Hibbler doesn’t stop there. She is currently working on repurposing her passion project “The Caprice Show” into “Get Up, Girl,” a storytelling platform to inspire other women who need “that push,” she said. The new name is a callback to the recognition that launched her career.
Now knowing the full extent of her abilities, Hibbler says she feels more confident than ever.
“I would love for other women who are up and doing things to help motivate women like me to stand up,” Hibbler said. “And it’s not too late to start over.
Hibbler’s advice to other pioneers
“Stay authentic, be consistent and show up when you don’t want to show up.”
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