At the heart of every story is struggle. As part of the Visual Journalism program at Western Washington University, students learn to tell compelling stories by focusing on the challenges and obstacles people confront as they journey through life in search of passion, meaning and happiness. In the Digital Media in Journalism course, students create video profiles that combine writing, audio and visual components. These videos were planned, shot and edited in 10 weeks. For many students, this was their first experience working with video. Their work speaks volumes to their commitment to storytelling and their compassion for the truth.

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During the fall quarter of 2013, students in the Digital Media in Journalism class at Western Washington University focused on people driven by passion, from a Western student who thrives despite his disability to a Bellingham filmmaker committed to bringing his fantastic visions to life. The class explored the family behind Hardware Sales, a Bellingham staple that continues to thrive as an independent, family-run hardware store despite the onslaught of big-box stores and the difficulties of keeping the business in the family. Students also looked at the volunteers committed to KUGS 89.3 FM, WWU's college-run radio station, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2014. A third group plotted the successes and struggles of Paul Wright, a Western senior who suffers from a rare muscular disease called arthrogyrosis. Finally, a group of students explored the inspired creations of Casey Scalf, who has developed a unique art using projection mapping for his company, Sensebellum.