AS
AS YET
AS YET ANOTHER YOUNG BUS DRIVER. I PREVIOUSLY TALKED HARDING UNIVERSITY SENIOR WHO
WE THOUGHT WAS THE YOUNGEST BUS
DRIVER THINGS THAT I HEAR SOME
THINK SOPHOMORE MIKE AYTON MAY
HAVE HER BEAT. HOW OLD ARE YOU,
MIKE? I'M 19 YEARS OLD, 19
YEARS OLD AND YOU DRIVE A BUS,
RIGHT? THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE AND
I APPLAUD YOU AND EVERY TYPE.
WHY? BECAUSE THAT IS A JOB. I
KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
CANNOT HANDLE. SO TELL US WHY
AND HOW YOU GOT STARTED.
GROUNDLINGS. SO I'M AN
EDUCATION MAJOR HERE AT
HENDERSON. I WAS JUST THINKING,
YOU KNOW, AS A TEACHER I
FIGURED THE BEST WAY OF MAKING
ANOTHER SOURCE OF INCOME WOULD
BE TO DRIVE A BUS. AND SO I
FIGURED I'D BE MORE VIABLE IF I
HAD ALREADY HAD CDL. AND SO
LUCKY MY DISTRICT WAS ALREADY
HIRING AND ESPECIALLY WITH, YOU
KNOW, THE PANDEMIC GOING ON, IT
WAS HARD TO GET PEOPLE. AND SO
I GRADUATED FROM ARKADELPHIA
AND IT WAS A NICE WAY TO COME
BACK AND HELP AND GET MY CDL
WHAT IS IT LIKE? SO YOU'RE ONLY
19 YEARS OLD. WHAT'S IT LIKE
WORKING WITH ALL OF THOSE
VETERAN BUS DRIVERS? THEY GIVE
YOU A HARD TIME SINCE YOU'RE SO
YOUNG. HOW DOES THAT GO? YOU
KNOW, SOMETIMES BUT THEY KIND
OF GIVE EACH OTHER A HARD TIME.
SO I KIND OF FIT IN AND THEY
WERE PRETTY WELCOMING FROM THE
START WHEN I GOT HERE. SO I
KIND OF FEEL LIKE PART OF THE
TRANSPORTATION FAMILY. LET'S
SAY MY FAVORITE PART IS
PROBABLY CONNECTING WITH THE
YOUNGER STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, I'M
PRETTY FUN. I'LL CHANGE LIKE MY
MASK LIKE I HAVE STEVE HARVEY
MASK AND THINGS AND THEY JUST
LOVE WHEN I CAN BE FUNNY AND IT
JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE BUS
TRIP NOT JUST GOING HOME AND
COME TO SCHOOL A LITTLE MORE
ENJOYABLE AND SO THAT'S
PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PART IS
CONNECTING WITH THE STUDENTS.
YOU KNOW, YOU THINK THAT YOU
MIGHT LIKE BUT YOU MAY NOT HAVE
AN IMPACT ON SOME KIDS BUT I
GUARANTEE YOU DO BECAUSE I RODE
THE BUS FROM KINDERGARTEN TO
SIXTH GRADE AND I HAD BUS
NUMBER NINE ALL OF THOSE YEARS
AND MISSON WAS MY BUS DRIVER
AND I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT
LADY. SHE WAS ALWAYS THOSE GUYS
WANT TO BE AROUND. DO YOU HAVE
ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE OTHER
POSSIBLE YOUNG BUS DRIVERS OUT
THERE WHO WANT TO CONSIDER
TAKING THE SAME? I WOULD
ENCOURAGE A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE
TO DO THIS. IT'S HARD TO, YOU
KNOW, WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND IT,
YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN
YOU'RE YOUNGER PEOPLE SEE US AS
BAD DRIVERS AND I CONSIDER
MYSELF AN EXCELLENT DRIVER. BUT
IF YOU ARE LIKE ME AN EXCELLENT
DRIVER AND YOU LIKE KIDS AND
YOU HAVE A LITTLE FREE TIME I
MEAN THERE'S NOTHING GETTING A
CDL AND HELPING OUT A SCHOOL IS
JUST A FEW HOURS A DAY. MONEY
ISN'T BAD. I THINK YOU SHOULD
JUST THEM AND ASK A FEW
QUESTIONS AND TRY IT OUT. THAT
IS SO CALLING. HEY TO WILLIAMS
JOINING US NOW. HANNAH, THIS IS
YOUR SECOND STORY. I'M YOUNG
BUS DRIVERS. YOU INTRODUCED US
TO A 21 YEAR OLD FAITH SMITH
FROM SEARCY LAST MONTH. I DON'T
KNOW HOW YOU'RE FINDING ALL
OF THESE AMAZING STORIES
OF THESE BUS DRIVERS. IT'S
AWESOME. BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE
BEING IN CHARGE OF SUCH
PRECIOUS CARGO AT THIS AGE? I
WOULD BE TERRIFIED. OH MY
GOODNESS. NO, THERE'S NO WAY.
AND IT'S SO FUNNY BECAUSE I
DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT TILL MY
MOM POINTED IT OUT TO ME. HE'S
19. MY YOUNGER BROTHER IS 19.
AND TO THINK THAT HE'S OLD
ENOUGH TO DRIVE A BUS WITH ALL
THOSE KIDS I SAID THERE'S NO
WAY. ABSOLUTELY NO WAY. THAT IS
AWESOME THAT HE SAID, YOU KNOW
WHAT? THIS IS SOMETHING I CAN
DO. GOT A BUS LOAD OF KIDS HERE
DRIVING THIS BIG HUNK OF METAL.
I'LL TAKE ON THAT FEAT. NO
PROBLEM. I MEAN IF HE'S DOING
NO TELLING WHAT IS IN STORE FOR
THIS YOUNG MAN IN THE FUTURE.
BUT IT IS IT IS REALLY GREAT TO
SEE. I LOVE THAT HE'S JUST
WILLING TO TAKE ON ANY
CHALLENGE. HANNAH ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH. MY MOM DAD WE'RE BOTH BUS
DRIVERS AND I MEAN I KNOW THE
STRUGGLES OF THEM HAVING TO GET
UP EARLY IN THE MORNING AND
DRIVE THEIR ROUTES AND THEN YOU
KNOW, IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER
WORKING ALL THAT TIME AND
KEEPING UP WITH KIDS ALL DAY
AND THEN TO DO IT AGAIN FOR
ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF AFTER
SCHOOL IS OVER AND THEN MY
DAD DROVE ATHLETIC BUSES
BECAUSE HE'S A COACH, YOU KNOW
.AND SO THAT'S A LOT TO KEEP
UP WITH. AND SO TO BE 19 YEARS
OLD AND WANT THAT TYPE
OF RESPONSIBILITY. LIKE I SAID,
I'M ALL OF HIOM THAT ALL
OF THESE KIDS THAT ARE ABLE TO
DO THIS. I KNOW I COULDN'T DO
IT. YEAH, IT IS AMAZING. MY
HUSBAND ALSO A COACH AND AS
DURING THOSE BUSES BEFORE AND
IT MAKES ME NERVOUS AND HE'S
DRIVING THOSE BUSES. I MEAN
THAT'S A BIG THING ON WHEELS. I
MEAN THE PLACE LIKE YOU KNOW I
SAID PRECIOUS CARGO THERE. BUT
HANNAH, ANOTHER GREAT STORY. WE
LOVE IT SO MUCH WHEN YOU'RE
BRINGING