Blog

I’ve been driving special needs students to and from school for 27 years. I’ve driven some students – who I call “my kids” – to and from school for eight years to the point where I’ve become a part of their families.  

Although I initially started my career as a substitute teacher, I realized my heart was drawn more to the moments outside the classroom.  I took what I thought would be a temporary job driving a school bus, but nearly three decades later, it is hard to explain the impact it has had on my life and all the incredible bonds I’ve formed with my kids and their families.  

I’ve been invited to weddings, birthday parties, graduations, and even funerals, all to celebrate the lives of the students I’ve gotten to know. Families have thrown me surprise birthday parties and given me thoughtful gifts, just to show how deeply they appreciate me.  

I cried when a former student found me on Facebook to tell me she was getting married and wanted me there for the happiest day of her life, and I’ve also stood beside a parent, who became like a sister to me, at the funeral service of a former student who used to call me “Auntie.” 

These special bonds are why, even after I recently moved to the South Suburbs, I still drive sixty miles a day to and from Naperville so I can keep the route I’ve driven for decades.  

You have to have heart to do this job. The heart to make that sixty-mile commute, so your kids can have the reliability and comfort of knowing who’s behind the wheel taking them to school. As a grandmother to an autistic child myself, driving for Sunrise is and always has been more than just a job for me. It’s not about the paycheck—it's about the people.  

Every one of my kids is special, and it’s hard to put into words what they can teach you about yourself.