By David LaBelle

Have you ever had the chance to speak before an audience, and you inevitably forgot to say something you felt was important?

I do it all the time, even if I’ve prepared notes in advance.

It happened to me this past weekend while speaking at a photography display of former and current teachers at Western Kentucky University titled “Family Tree: An Exhibition.” The super-talented Tim Broekema, former student and current professor at WKU, curated the show.

I talked about the past and the people who helped build the photojournalism program. But once I was finished, I thought about the things I didn’t say and wished I had.

So, here are a few things I wish I would’ve said:

As much as I’m honored to be a small piece in the incredible puzzle and celebrated program at WKU, and as much as we applaud the vision and building skills of Mike Morse and David Sutherland, it has been James Kenney, coordinator since 2001, who has held the ship together and steered it through deeper, unprecedented waters.

The voyage has not been without rough seas and numerous challenges.

A favorite proverb comes to mind, “Calm seas never made a good sea captain.”

In fairness, he hasn’t done this alone; he has had the wise council and support of Tim Brokema, Jeanie Adams-Smith, Jo-Ann Huff Albers, Francis Gardler, Jim Bye, Kurt Fattic, Larry Powell, and most recently, Josh Meltzer.

Listening to Mr. Kenney talk to students about the financial challenges of making it through school, I am reminded that each of us faces hardships. It’s how we respond to adversity, which determines our success and our character.

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As I looked out at the small crowd during my speech, I thought about two individuals not in attendance – yet their spirits have stayed with me.

I wanted to tell the audience about Mark Gruber, a WKU graduate of ‘87 who took several photo classes with us. I tried to persuade Mark to become a photo major – he was very talented – but he wanted to fly jets. I couldn’t have been more honored the day Mark came to my office, dressed in his Marine uniform, along with his mother and grandmother. I was humbled that he wanted his family to meet me. They had driven an hour from Elizabethtown. I remember telling his family how proud I was of Mark and how I believed he could’ve made photography his career. I told Mark I would sleep better knowing he was flying over our skies as we slept.

Mark died in a jet crash in November of 1992 at the age of 26 over the North Atlantic.

I also wanted to talk about another former student named Lynn Saunders. She was a beautiful young woman, whose lovely face was disfigured and scarred by a brain tumor. Lynn struggled to keep her balance and suffered from seizures; however, she didn’t allow life’s difficult hurdles to become spirit-killing obstacles. She persevered.

Lynn wrote me an email saying she finally found her place as a picture editor, and she loved it more than anything.

“I love what I do. I realized one day that I’ve been preparing for this job as picture editor all of my life. Even as a baby I would say, ‘Mom, that diaper is a little too tilted.’”

A month later Lynn died in a car accident.

WKU is truly a family – a large one now – with several generations. A family I am grateful to be a member of.

The WKU family is strong, not only for the Pulitzer prizes it has received; it’s strong because of the heartaches and hardships it has endured.

Photos by David LaBelle

Western Kentucky University Photojournalism Program