COLUMNS
in his space WITH NEAL BUSCH
If you've been around Gilmour for any length of time, you've probably seen Neal Busch . Maybe he's behind the boards at a hockey game. Maybe he's navigating the crowds at Commencement with his camera around his neck. Maybe he's sitting on the floor of the Lower School trying to get the perfect angle of a preschooler proudly showing off a project. He's almost always there. And he's almost always behind the camera. What many people don't know is that Neal didn't come to Gilmour to take pictures. His family's connection began in 2001 when his son, Jake Busch ’03 , enrolled as a boarding student on Gilmour's prep hockey team. Neal and his wife, Bonnie, made countless trips from St. Louis and quickly found themselves drawn to the people they met here. A few years later, when Neal was ready for a career change, he reached out to Br. Robert Lavelle about an opening in Information Technology. Before long, he and Bonnie had packed up their lives, moved to Cleveland and bought a house directly across the street from campus.
then home to future NHL stars, including Sidney Crosby, with Jake making the saves in goal. Those weekends spent following the prep team eventually turned a hobby into a second career, shifting from his role as IT Director to campus photographer. Today, Neal documents nearly every corner of campus life, from athletic championships and theater productions to Catalyst presentations, alumni reunions and everyday moments in the classroom. The events themselves are only part of the job. Then comes the sorting, editing and post production. Neal estimates he spends about twice as much time behind the computer as he does behind the camera. "I probably take too many photos," he says. But that's part of making sure the right moments aren't missed.
Then there are the moments that come full circle. When Naz Hillmon ’18 returned to campus for Reunion Weekend, she introduced Neal to a friend by explaining that he was the one who had taken her pictures over the years. Parents and grandparents often stop him for the same reason, thanking him for photos that have become family keepsakes. It's a reminder that what feels like another day at work to Neal may become someone else's favorite memory. The Busch family's connection to Gilmour extends well beyond Neal's job. Bonnie served in several roles over the years, including house mother in Murphy Residence Hall, Middle School administrative assistant and Ice Arena Operations Manager. During school breaks, boarding students often found a home with the Busches. Neal says the family's decision to move to Cleveland was cemented years earlier. Before they moved to Cleveland, Jake became seriously ill with a ruptured appendix following a hockey tournament. Neal and Bonnie rushed from St. Louis to Hillcrest Hospital. When they arrived, they found then Headmaster Br. Robert Lavelle, Br. Richard Keller and Todd Sweda already at his bedside. "That was Gilmour," Neal recalls. It confirmed what they had already begun to feel: this was a community they wanted to be part of. When asked how he'd like to be remembered for his work, his answer is simple.
His favorite assignment?
He can't pick one.
One week he's photographing a robotics competition. The next it's Lower School students reading to dogs, a play rehearsal or a state championship. That's exactly what he loves about the job. "It never gets boring because I get to do so much." But there's another reason you'll find Neal on campus early in the morning, late at night and on weekends. He believes students and their families deserve to have photographs of life's important moments. He simply doesn't want to miss them. Some of the moments that stay with him never make headlines. Walking campus with Br. Charles and watching cross country runners interrupt their run to stop and say hello. Seeing teammates encourage one another after practice. It’s those small interactions that say something about the kind of community Gilmour is.
Twenty years later, they still haven't wandered very far.
Neal traces his interest in photography back to Jake’s prep hockey days, when digital cameras were becoming popular and he wanted to document Jake's career in net. His favorite image isn't necessarily one he captured, but one he'll never forget: Gilmour's 1-0 upset of Shattuck-St. Mary's,
"I guess that I did an OK job doing it."
For someone who has spent two decades serving the Gilmour community, it's a characteristically understated answer.
Jake Busch in net against Shattuck-St. Mary's during the 2002-03 season
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