Not everyone can say they love their job, but a lucky few get to make a living doing what they love. WSU student April Rayer is lucky to be such a person.

Rayer started working at her family’s stained glass business, Rayer’s Bearden Stained Glass Supply, at a young age. She became acquainted with products ranging from sun catchers and Tiffany lamps to church windows and Smithsonian architectural pieces.

Rayer’s Bearden Stained Glass Supply is the family business where Rayer began working at a young age. It’s not just a job to her.

“I really enjoy working with the customers,” she said. “I get to help them pick out stuff for their projects. It’s really fun seeing them all hyped up about stained glass.”

Rayer is a junior double majoring in Spanish and business marketing. She is one of four daughters working at the family business.

Her father, Randy Rayer, takes pride in his daughter’s creativity, and shares a fond memory of when she fused glass in a kiln to make sun catchers.

“She had her own line of glass sun catchers,” he said, “and the were called April Showers.”

Rayer considers her father a great influence. “It was pretty cool to see my dad handling all that,” she said. “He taught me everything I know.”

Like her father, Rayer also enjoys sharing her passion with others. She once taught a stained glass presentation for one of her classes on campus.

“Everyone thinks that you really need to be artsy to do it,” she said. “But if you can trace lines, you can do stained glass.”

Rayer recommends working with stained glass to individuals who need a break from their busy lives. She plans on graduating in a year or two, but is content with where she is right now.

“The most enjoyable part is getting customers excited about stained glass because you can really see their love for the business,” she said. “It makes me love my job that much more.”