Psychology and Counseling
Astyn's Garden
The Artwork
Astyn's Garden is located beside the Behavioral Sciences Building on the northeast side of Lubbock Christian University campus. Dr. Michael Hardin, Chair of Behavioral Sciences and an Associate Professor at LCU, credits Charley Wasson, former CEO of Hospice of Lubbock, with being very instrumental in the establishment of the memorial garden.
"The idea for this project started in May 2012, and Charley Wasson at Hospice of Lubbock took it on as his personal project," Hardin said. "Charley is the one who raised the support for it. He is the one who was really responsible for raising the funds."
Renamed in honor of Astyn Qubty in 2016, the recent garden updates were graciously funded by Dr. Johnny and Diane Qubty to honor their daughter. This sacred space provides families from the South Plains a place to come together in memory of their lost loved ones, and it features a mural by local artist and LCU alumnus, Cliff Wilke. The idea for creating a mural in the garden came from LCU student and Psychology major, Maddie (Reaves '16) Hettick. In October 2017, Maddie received the inaugural LCU Heart of Service Award for her leadership and efforts in this project.
The garden is a quiet place for meditation. Just as we pass from one period of life to another, visitors symbolically leave the world behind as they pass through the garden's gate into a space of quiet solitude. Inside the memorial, they can walk a looped meditation path and look at the rocks placed in honor of those who have passed on.
"Compassionate Friends of Lubbock," an organization that supports families after the death of children, has a chapter that meets monthly in the LCU Behavioral Sciences Building. Visitors are welcome. The meetings are held at 7:00 pm on the first Tuesday of every month in Room 110. For more information, contact chapter leader, Isabel Espinoza, at 806-218-2397 or TCFLubbock@gmail.com. You may also visit their website atcompassionatefriendslubbock.org.
For information about ordering a rock for the garden, contact LaLani Carter at LaLani.Carter@lcu.edu.