Have you ever thought about jobs that require doing two opposite things at the same time? Like serving the general public while removing the bad guys among us = police. Like driving a 40-foot container vehicle while supervising 40 kids = school bus driver. Sounds challenging? That’s why I’ve often said that I could easily drive a school bus as long as there were no children aboard!

Now meet Brenda Barnes. Brenda has been driving school bus for 43 years. Yes, you heard correctly: 43 years. The same year that Sally Ride became the first American woman in space, Brenda launched her school bus driving career and has been doing it ever since. She’s the hero of the bus barn. Willie, another school bus driver who has driven for three years, wants to be just like Brenda. And what does Brenda say? She still loves her job after all these years. There are a lot of little and grow-up kids who love her too! Only 24 years to go until Brenda breaks the school bus driving record. Godspeed, Brenda!

-Priscilla Martens