They’re the first faces Los Fresnos students see when the wheels of the bus come to a stop each morning. Los Fresnos C.I.S.D. bus drivers open the doors to their buses as early as 6:30 a.m. to their students. Their routes are filled with familiar, but sleepy faces.
“Taking them to school, especially the Pre-K and K students. They’re sleepy, but they wake up,” said Gilberto Lopez, a bus driver for LFCISD.
“Just talking to them…hey good morning guys! They start waking up, they get happy,” added Alberto Alviar, also a bus driver for LFCISD.
The two men have driven school buses over fifteen years, driving hundreds of student connections in the process. “I love what I do,” said Lopez.
They know success starts with a foundation in education. So when they saw the opportunity to promote the road to college, they jumped on board. “A couple of students were wondering why I am wearing a college shirt. First, I am very proud that I have a son that is going to college. I try to promote college for every child on my bus, or any child that I know,” said Lopez. “I wear it for my daughters…proud father, I’ve got four daughters who go to TSC.”
The Los Fresnos CISD Transportation Department is one-part of the district-wide College Awareness movement. Students and staff proudly wear their college shirts to promote college and career readiness on Thursdays. The bus drivers never miss a Thursday.
“I like wearing it just to motivate students to start thinking about going to college. To let them know that high school is not the end, so they can have a better future,” said Alviar.
“I like wearing it to motivate students. It does well to help them see the future,” said Lopez.
The College Awareness Day initiative will run for the remainder of the year.