Q: What inspired you to be a bus driver?
A: The last 11 years I spent in education was in the role of the Director of Transportation for the Seneca Valley School District. I pleaded for people to become bus drivers. I went to PTO meetings, and we had advertisements playing at the Strand Theatre before a show would begin. I created a commercial to run on the morning announcements during the school day and ran on the Armstrong cable channel in the evenings. Despite all our efforts to get people to drive for the school district, we continued to be short drivers.
When I retired, people asked me what I planned to do to keep busy. I told them, "I am going to drive a bus." For years, I tried to get people to drive a bus in their community. I needed to practice what I had preached all those years. I made a commitment to drive a bus for four years, and I am enjoying the experience.
Q: Can you share your journey to this profession?
A: I graduated from the University of Dayton and worked for a television station, WHIO-TV, in Dayton, Ohio. I was a videographer, editor, and reporter. Although I enjoyed the job, the communication business did not pay very well. Most of my friends were making good money in sales. So, I left WHIO-TV and became a sales representative for a variety of companies. In fact, the last company I worked for in Columbus, Ohio, promoted me to a Division Manager position in the Western PA area in 1995. And my wife and two daughters settled in McCandless.
By my third year as a Division Manager, the company was projecting dire times ahead. I then decided to take night classes at Robert Morris and get my teaching certificate. In December 1999, I received my certificate in English and Communication. I then finished my master’s degree and took additional classes from Slippery Rock to achieve my principal certification. I was an assistant principal for Hampton Middle School and Deer Lakes Middle School. In 2011, I had the chance to become the Director of Transportation for the Seneca Valley School District and finished out my education career in August of 2022. When I retired, I kept my promise and began driving a school bus.
Q: How do you prepare for your routes each day?
A: I typically clock in at 6:45 am. I have a Carson Middle run and an Ingomar Elementary run in the morning. I perform my pre-trip inspection of the bus and head out around 7:05 am. In the afternoon, I clock in at 1:30 pm, perform my pre-trip again, and head down to NAI by 2:00 pm. In the afternoon, I have a high school run, Marshall Middle run, and Marshall Elementary run.
Q: Can you share a memorable or rewarding experience with the students?
A: It is always special to get a card or drawing from a student to put up in the bus. I am a scuba diver, so I ask the kids and parents to call me "Scuba Jim," most of the drawings or cards I receive have an aquatic theme. Last year, I had an elementary student who was gifted in making jewelry out of wire and gems. I told the student I like frogs. A week later, he gave me a frog made from wire. I kept it on my dashboard all year long. Now, the frog resides in a special keepsake box. The box was given to me at Christmas so I could place cherished items in it. I occasionally went through the box to remember all the wonderful children I had transported over the years.
Q: What safety measures do you take to ensure the students' well-being?
A: Consistent reminders about staying seated, no gum, no eating on the bus. I ask the students to look around before getting off the bus to make sure they do not leave any trash behind and to remember their coats, water bottles, and instruments. Daily reminders make good students.
Q: What connections have you made with families and students over the years?
A: I mostly see parents during the elementary runs. I enjoy speaking to the parents, sharing with them road conditions or weather conditions, or maybe highlights from a vacation. The parents usually share when someone is having a birthday.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: The best part is when I say, "Good Morning" or "Good Evening," and the students respond in kind. I hope to deliver kids to school in a happy mood and deliver them home in a happy mood.
Q: Can you share a funny or heartwarming story from your time as a bus driver?
A: Every day on our elementary bus, we sing "It's Hard to be Humble," and every Friday, I sing with the middle school students. It is an old Mac Davis song. So, a father shared with me that his sons were singing "It's Hard to be Humble" at their grandfather's house. The grandfather said, "That's my favorite song!" And the grandfather sang the song with his grandchildren. That story did my heart good to think that multiple generations are able to share a moment together in song.
