Julie Greene says she didn’t originally picture herself as a school bus driver, but after almost 30 years, she wouldn’t trade her career for anything.
Beacon Mobility announced Greene as its Driver of the Year at the contractor’s “SOAR” Leadership Summit in July. Greene drives for Salter Transportation, a transportation company that has been part of the Beacon Mobility family since 2021. She transports students attending the Pentucket Regional School District, which serves Groveland, Merrimack and West Newsbury, Massachusetts. Lytx, a video management and fleet telematics company, also recognized Green as its Driver of the Year in the Transit/Motor Coach Driver category in March.
“Greene’s recognition was based on her exemplary 2024 driving performance, including detailed telematics and video data that showed consistently safe maneuvering, zero speed violations, and an absence of risky driving behaviors. Judges also considered her impressive mileage record, absence of law enforcement citations, and positive contributions to the community,” stated a press release from Beacon Mobility.
Beacon Mobility also congratulated Greene in a social media post saying, “This award represents the highest level of excellence, and Julie embodies it in every mile she drives. With unwavering dedication, professionalism, and care, she has set the standard for what it means to live our mission and values.”
“Her perfect safety record speaks volumes, but so does the way her students light up when they see her,” continued Maryann Kocur, vice president of operations at Salter Transportation.
Beacon Mobility CEO Judith Crawford echoed the sentiment. “Her professionalism, compassion, and remarkable record set the standard for excellence across our entire organization,” she added. “We are proud to have her on our team and thrilled to see her recognized with such a prestigious honor.”
Greene told STN she had no idea she would be recognized with the Beacon Mobility Driver of the Year award before her name was announced.
“I’m honored, humbled, and proud to represent school bus drivers across the country because I really feel like we do something special every day. It gets me emotional, but I work with so many solid drivers that really have the best interests of the children and what it means to get we have to be recognized nationally as a school bus driver. It’s just, I continue to be overwhelmed, and I’m still processing it.”
Greene was a young mother working as supervisor at an insurance company when an unexpected medical circumstance took her out of that field. With a newborn and a 3-year-old at home, she began reevaluating her new life situation and balancing work with childcare. A friend suggested she try driving a school bus to allow for more time with her children.
Greene stated that her first impression of a yellow school bus was that it seemed too daunting to drive but she told herself, “You know you can do this, and it will work out great.”
Twenty-six years later, people ask her about retiring, but as she said in her acceptance speech at the award ceremony, “It’s always been more than a job, it moves my soul. The connection I have in my community, with the kids that I transport has been a privilege and an honor.”
Greene said that she has been able to live and work transporting students in the same area of Massachusetts for her whole career. As the district’s transportation contract moved to different bus companies she would move to the new company and has been with Salter Transportation for 10 years.
She said she loves the community connection, adding that she’s had students on her route who invite her to birthday parties, sporting and music events, or talk to her about their plans for college.
“It’s a lot of personal connection in the time frame that we drive, which I think is surprising to a lot of people, but we really are involved in the students’ lives, and it definitely fulfills a purpose,” said Greene. “I know exactly why I’m doing what I’m doing and how important it is…we learn a lot about these kids, and we care about them the same way I care about mine.”
Greene shared fond memories of young students telling her about the first time they learned to tie their shoes or wanting to practice their beginning reading skills on the bus ride. She shared that she has noticed how students gravitate to empathy and compassion, traits as a mother she also shares with her students. She also said that she was motivated to continue as driver by a “strong sense of pride and purpose” to be transporting students to their education.
She added she has always viewed driving a school bus as more than a job and that the majority of drivers are doing much more than driving. She recalled the excitement on her students’ faces as they returned to bus routes after schools reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic. She related how she hadn’t even taken her first sick day until after COVID-19 and how concerned students were when she was not in the driver’s seat for a few days. That commitment to consistency has built a strong foundation of trust and respect with her students and their families, she commented.
In her almost three decades as a driver, Greene said that she personally feels that while the role of a school bus driver is still underestimated by some, she has seen an increase in awareness and respect.
“It’s far different today, where we’re respected … we’re important in our communities. I feel that every day, I feel that from my workplace, with my coworkers,” shared Greene.
She summed up her advice to other drivers with two phrases that she said influence how she approaches interactions with the students on her bus. The first is “In a world where you can be anything, be kind,” and the second is from Dr. Seuss: “Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter, don’t mind.”
The latter saying is posted in her bus to remind the students that the bus is safe place for “whoever you are today, or tomorrow, or any second. You put your foot on that bus, you’re accepted.”
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