Here is the speech Bill delivered on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at the Lisle High School Honors Night after inviting Kaylee Gansberg's parents, Michele and Keith, to join him on stage.
Good evening everybody and congratulations students. I applaud you on your accomplishments during your career at Lisle High School.
My name is Bill Buchelt and I’ve had the privilege to serve on the Carlin Nalley board as a director for the past 10 years. I stand in front of you with the honor of presenting the Carlin Nalley Foundation’s final scholarship, the Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award.
Good evening everybody and congratulations students. I applaud you on your accomplishments during your career at Lisle High School.
My name is Bill Buchelt and I’ve had the privilege to serve on the Carlin Nalley board as a director for the past 10 years. I stand in front of you with the honor of presenting the Carlin Nalley Foundation’s final scholarship, the Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award.
L to R: CNF President John Bartels, Keith Ganseburg, Recipient of the first Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award Scholarship Zoe Hines, Michele Ganesburg, CNF Director Bil Buchelt at the Lisle High School Honors night Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
I’d like to share a quick story with you. At one of my favorite recent assignments, the guest speaker happened to be a Buddhist monk from the Shaolin temple. As he entered the room, nobody said a word. He opened his presentation by walking to the board and wrote “EVERYONE WANTS TO SAVE THE WORLD, BUT NO-ONE WANTS TO HELP MOM DO THE DISHES.” We all laughed. But then he went on to say this to the attendees:
“Statistically, it’s highly unlikely that any of you will ever have the opportunity to run into a burning orphanage and rescue an infant. But, in the smallest gesture of kindness— a warm smile, holding the door for the person behind you, or shoveling the driveway of the elderly person next door— you commit an act of immeasurable kindness, because to each of us, our life is our universe.” This is my hope, he continued, for you for our future that by your smallest acts of kindness, you will change another’s world.
Kaylee Gansberg was who that monk was hoping everybody could be. Kaylee always did the little acts of kindness for anybody and everybody without hesitation and never asked for anything in return. Kaylee lived to make a positive difference in others’ lives.
Kaylee was a 2019 graduate of Lisle High School who was taken from us too soon. She passed away suddenly less than a year ago in an unfortunate accident, right before the start of her senior year at Western Michigan University. I had the honor of knowing Kaylee and seeing her through many different lenses; she was one of my daughter’s best friends, I saw her socially at Lisle gatherings as well as working side by side with her at the studio. She was always true to who she was and what she stood for. She dreamed of traveling the world and photographing it. Kaylee never took NO for an answer and always asked why. She was a loving and giving person that made the world a better place. Kaylee touched so many lives and her memory will inspire other young artists to pursue a similar creative path that embodies both the artist and the art.
Kaylee excelled in high school with a top finish in the portfolio competition at the I-8 conference and won numerous awards at gallery exhibits during her three years at Western Michigan University. She was awarded her degree posthumously last week at the university’s commencement ceremonies.
I would encourage all of you to live as the Shaolin Monk encouraged. Be kind, be selfless, be happy, be like KAYLEE.
We are proud to honor Kaylee and to help future high achieving art students at Lisle High school accomplish their future educational goals.
This year's recipient will be continuing her art education at NIU as an art major working towards a degree in art education. She has multiple creative outlets in which she excels including sculpting, drawing, painting and photography. She also placed 3rd in state in cosmetology through TCD. She has a voice. She has confidence and is a friend to all.
Please join me in congratulating Zoe Hines as the winner of the Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art scholarship winner.
By; Bill Buchelt (Class of 1984) has been serving as a director on the Carlin Nalley Foundation since 2012. He is a graduate of Illinois Benedictine University (Class of 1988) with a degree in marketing and economics. Since 1988, he has owned and operated Elan Photography in Lisle. He lives in Lisle with his wife, Nicole, they have four children; Mackenzie, Benjamin, Alison, and Jordan.
“Statistically, it’s highly unlikely that any of you will ever have the opportunity to run into a burning orphanage and rescue an infant. But, in the smallest gesture of kindness— a warm smile, holding the door for the person behind you, or shoveling the driveway of the elderly person next door— you commit an act of immeasurable kindness, because to each of us, our life is our universe.” This is my hope, he continued, for you for our future that by your smallest acts of kindness, you will change another’s world.
Kaylee Gansberg was who that monk was hoping everybody could be. Kaylee always did the little acts of kindness for anybody and everybody without hesitation and never asked for anything in return. Kaylee lived to make a positive difference in others’ lives.
Kaylee was a 2019 graduate of Lisle High School who was taken from us too soon. She passed away suddenly less than a year ago in an unfortunate accident, right before the start of her senior year at Western Michigan University. I had the honor of knowing Kaylee and seeing her through many different lenses; she was one of my daughter’s best friends, I saw her socially at Lisle gatherings as well as working side by side with her at the studio. She was always true to who she was and what she stood for. She dreamed of traveling the world and photographing it. Kaylee never took NO for an answer and always asked why. She was a loving and giving person that made the world a better place. Kaylee touched so many lives and her memory will inspire other young artists to pursue a similar creative path that embodies both the artist and the art.
Kaylee excelled in high school with a top finish in the portfolio competition at the I-8 conference and won numerous awards at gallery exhibits during her three years at Western Michigan University. She was awarded her degree posthumously last week at the university’s commencement ceremonies.
I would encourage all of you to live as the Shaolin Monk encouraged. Be kind, be selfless, be happy, be like KAYLEE.
We are proud to honor Kaylee and to help future high achieving art students at Lisle High school accomplish their future educational goals.
This year's recipient will be continuing her art education at NIU as an art major working towards a degree in art education. She has multiple creative outlets in which she excels including sculpting, drawing, painting and photography. She also placed 3rd in state in cosmetology through TCD. She has a voice. She has confidence and is a friend to all.
Please join me in congratulating Zoe Hines as the winner of the Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art scholarship winner.
By; Bill Buchelt (Class of 1984) has been serving as a director on the Carlin Nalley Foundation since 2012. He is a graduate of Illinois Benedictine University (Class of 1988) with a degree in marketing and economics. Since 1988, he has owned and operated Elan Photography in Lisle. He lives in Lisle with his wife, Nicole, they have four children; Mackenzie, Benjamin, Alison, and Jordan.
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