Pasco-Hernando State College Volume XIV, Issue II Fall 2020 | Page 23

I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it, and that
summer I made about 10 different stained glass
art pieces.”
Laubach created a stained-glass window birthday
present for co-teacher Lydia Massias, Ed.D.,
Professor of Nursing. Massias suggested Laubach
create one for PHSC. Inspired by the PHSC seal
that features a tree, Laubach and her husband
worked more than 100 hours to create ‘Sprout and
Grow Where You Are Planted’ that was gifted to
PHSC Porter Campus. VickieAnn
designs, selects colors, cuts
and grinds glass, while Art does
soldering and cementing.
Blood, sweat, tears and
antibiotics were involved in
crafting the custom stained glass
window. Laubach shed blood
from many finger cuts while
cutting and grinding glass. “I
didn’t realize you get cut A LOT
when I began doing stained glass
designing...now I wear Band-aids
on every finger, which doesn’t
always help,” said Laubach. The
sweat comes while working in her
garage with no air conditioning in
summer when she is not teaching.
There is math involved in cutting
stained glass especially when
there are curves. She went on
to say that tears from frustration
when a piece doesn’t fit correctly
are not uncommon. Antibiotics
came into play when she cut
her leg on an old iron bed frame
in her garage, and like a nurse,
she cleaned it and kept working.
“About a week later, I noticed
swelling, warmth and blisters where the cut had
healed—classic cellulitis,” said Laubach. “After a
quick trip to urgent care for antibiotics, I was back
working on the stained glass window!”
The finished window was hung at the Porter
Campus in fall 2019. As sunlight shines through
the piece, the colored leaves representing degrees
conferred to PHSC graduates can be seen. The
letters PHSC are proudly displayed in the black
and gold school colors. Inscribed on the window’s
interior is the simple statement: ‘Sprout and Grow
Where You Are Planted.’ According to Laubach,
“It is a joy to be a small part of the ‘sprouting’ of
learning and watching our students grow at PHSC.”
Sprout and Grow Where You Are Planted
showcases the tree from the PHSC seal.
FALL 2020 21