The school day does not begin with the bell; it begins on the bus.
In the quite early dark morning before the teachers have arrived and classrooms have been unlocked, bus drivers have already been on the road working tirelessly to drive children to school. Bus drivers are far more than just operators of big yellow buses; they are the first and last school staff members children see each day, quietly serving as the backbones of the school community.
Bus drivers not only work these long demanding hours, but they also create a safe and welcoming community. Bus drivers look out for students’ well-being and create a sense of belonging, serving as a mentor or a trusted adult outside of the classroom.
Bus driver Alexa Vargas’ main goal is to create a safe community on her bus.
“I want to make sure that whatever day they woke up with, you can make that negative place into a positive,” Vargas said.
Every morning and every afternoon, Vargas has a smile on her face welcoming the students on and off her bus, maintaining her goal of making her bus a positive community.
“She is very nice to everyone. She waits for everyone at their stop for two minutes to make sure she doesn’t leave anyone behind,” Kayla Granna ’27 said. “She always says good morning with a big smile on her face and makes conversations with the kids.”
Beyond her role of being a bus driver, Vargas spends time with her granddaughters and has just as much of a positive impact in their lives as she has to her students, offering the same encouragement and support she gives to her students.
“I show them my love and care,” Vargas said, “and relax with them and how it is to live life without working.”
