Our bus drivers and monitors are an essential part of many students’ education, ensuring they get to and from school safely. Drivers and monitors are the first people in the district the students come into contact with daily, and it falls to them to help students have a great start and end to each school day and activity. USD 503 is thankful for all they do. Throughout this week we will be featuring our wonderful drivers and monitors, and sharing a little about them.
Today we are featuring three people, Trisha Robb, Janine Nelson and Michael Naff.
Trisha Rob is a bus driver on bus P6. This year started her sixth in that position. Besides serving the district in that capacity, she works for Out ‘N Bout (home services) and she owns a photography business. One thing she shared about herself is that she loves driving around and listening to music.
Her favorite thing about being a bus driver is: “Meeting and bonding with the kids. I love seeing them out in public and them being excited to see me.”
Janine Nelson serves as a bus monitor on bus P6 with Robb. She has worked in that position for two years. Outside of that job, Nelson is a homemaker. A little about her: “I love planting a variety of flowers in my yard and watching them all flourish.” She said she has also traveled quite a bit to and through many different states. “As a child growing up, my family always made plans to take a family vacation every year. Sometimes we would fly in airplanes and at other times we would drive. In 38 years I have been to 28 states in total.”
Her favorite thing about being a bus monitor is, “Seeing and interacting with the children on a daily basis. I enjoy seeing their smiling faces light up with joy while telling me about something they have enjoyed doing during their school day.”
Michael Naff is a part-time bus driver serving where needed. He has worked as a bus driver for the district for 15 years and is the longest serving employee currently in the USD 503 Transportation Department. He is retired and in being so, he said, outside of when he is driving the bus, he is able to enjoy his time just doing what he wants to do. What he loves about being a bus driver: “The kids are my favorite thing; watching them grow throughout the years and developing into young ladies and men. I enjoy listening to them when they tell me about their day when loading onto the bus and little ones giving me their fist bumps and calling me ‘Mr. Bus Driver’ or ‘Bus Driver.’”