School bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses has selected recently retired bus driver Joyce St. John as the 2011 Children’s Choice School Bus Driver of the Year as nominated by one of her student riders.
St. John retired at the end of last school year, her 42nd driving for Morgan County Schools in Decatur, Ala. She was nominated for the sixth annual award by one of her student riders, 10-year-old Mauriene Clark, who called St. John “the best bus driver in the world.” In addition to driving Clark, St. John also drove her mother and four siblings to and from school.
Clark wrote that St. John who paid particular attention to children with medical problems, “taught us manners,” and expected riders to help keep the bus clean.
“She’s like my grandmother, and I even call her Nana sometimes,” the student added.
St. John will receive a $1,000 Visa® gift card, and Clari will receive a $1,000 education savings bond and a laptop computer. Both also will receive Thomas Built Buses jackets and lunch boxes.
Jim Merritt, Warsaw Community Schools, Warsaw, Ind., was named runner-up. Merritt was nominated by Shannon, a sixth grader at Harrison Elementary School, who wrote that Merritt reassures parents, teaches rider etiquette with ‘student of the day’ and is someone she looks forward to seeing every morning.
To qualify, drivers were required to have a minimum of 5 years of experience; however, judges felt the nominations for two finalist entries deserved honorable mentions. Evans Okoduwa, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, N.C., has been a driver for two years and was nominated by Dailyn, a sixth grader at Northeast Middle School, for his heroic actions dealing with an armed student. With four years of industry experience, also receiving honorable mention was Thomas (Skip) Pillow, Reynolds School District, Fairview, Ore., who was nominated by Cristina, a fourth grader at Woodland Elementary School. Christina said Pillow was “like an eagle, always alert.”
Students and drivers receiving runner-up and honorable mention recognition will receive Thomas Built jackets and lunch boxes.
The contest began as part of Thomas Built Buses’ 90th anniversary celebration in 2005. Since then thousands of children have nominated their favorite bus driver in 90-word essays that often include original artwork and photos of themselves with their drivers, and they are judged for content and originality by representatives of the National Student Transportation Association and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, editors of School Bus Fleet and School Transportation News magazines and a Thomas Built Buses employee.
The 2011 winning entries can be found online.
“As a school bus manufacturer we strive to build a bus that will provide safe, reliable access to education but we know an important safety feature on any school bus is the person behind the wheel,” said Kelley Platt, Thomas Built president and CEO. “This contest is a way for us to thank the school bus drivers who take good care of the precious cargo on each bus, and to recognize the importance of their role in students’ lives.”
