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 honoring Adam Brubaker, Donna Jay, and Neil Shelley.
Adam Brubaker is a bus driver on bus P5. He has been a driver for the district for 7 years. Driving the bus is presently his only occupation. What he wants to share about himself is he has been married for 43 years, has six sons and 24 grandkids. “And I was a guide at Yellowstone Park,” he said.
His favorite thing about driving a bus: “I enjoy being around kids. They are full of life, smile, giggle and seem happy no matter their circumstances.”
Donna Jay is a bus monitor and has been serving in that capacity for a year. She has been retired from other employment since January 2018. Something she would like people to know about her is that she enjoys making quilts and doing embroidery work. “I also collect antique quilts and vintage embroidery linens,” she said.
Her favorite thing about being a bus monitor is the students. “Being around the students and them telling me jokes, and conversations with them about their day at school and the sports they are playing, as well as other interests they have like the books they like to read and showing me their art drawings.”
Neil Shelley is the district’s newest bus driver, driving bus P3. He’s been with 503 for one month. He has a primary job working in IT (remotely) for a manufacturer in Utah. He also works as a medical assistant for CHC-SEK and in his spare time runs his own business. What he wants people to know about him is that he loves to read and has his own personal library of more than 3,500 books. He also keeps bees and loves talking about them.
His favorite aspect of being a bus driver is his coworkers and the kids. ”I’ve only been driving a week but I love it so far. The team at USD 503 is awesome so far.”