Stained Glass: Glass, Color, and Light with Sheryl Koch was my first experience as a student at John C. Campbell Folk School. Attending class at the Folk School made me feel AWAKE again. I was surrounded by people with similar interests and I was learning a new creative craft for the first time since my time as a photography undergrad. Every morning that week, I woke up with a smile on my face. I was so excited to be growing, learning, and doing something new.

Sheryl is an amazing instructor; she corrects mistakes kindly, started us off slow with a few practice pieces, and has a ton of experience in stained glass. This class was fun and lighthearted, and the non-competitive nature of the Folk School classes makes you comfortable enough to not fear mistakes, to try new things. There is a lot of time for experimentation, so no need to worry about failing. I had tried stained glass on my own before taking this class and had only limited success. After the week, I was completely confident in cutting, foiling, and soldering glass.

Surrounded by mountains older than dinosaurs, learning about an artform that can be traced back to the 7^th century, I felt like I had found something precious. I found piece of home and maybe a piece of myself I never knew was missing. With every successful crack of the glass, I gained confidence, with every new friend made I gained perspective, and in every corner of campus I found inspiration.