Mom Quits Her Job for ‘Undervalued’ but Fulfilling Career Working with Kids

In 2023, Jackeline Ezrre was stuck working as a mail carrier – a job that left her exhausted and unhappy.

“It was a very demanding job. My schedule was all over the place,” Ezrre tells PEOPLE. “I was spending more time at work than with my kids.”

Feeling frustrated and unsure about her next step, she quit and started looking for jobs in her Arizona neighborhood that matched her skills. But she faced rejection after rejection.

Then one morning, while dropping her daughter off at school, a “We’re Hiring” sign caught her eye.

On a whim, the 30-year-old applied for several school positions – from cafeteria worker to custodian – including one for a substitute bus driver, even though she had no experience driving a bus.

Surprisingly, the only call she got was for the bus driver position. Within just a few days, she was offered the job.

After earning her Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Ezrre was given her route, which was 45 minutes from her bus barn and required freeway driving.

“I remember being so tense and stressed – I gripped onto that steering wheel,” she says. “My arms were sore at the end of the day. I finished with a migraine, got home, went to bed around 5 p.m., and woke up the next day to do it again.”

Two years later, Ezrre says she feels “very confident behind the wheel,” thanks to the freeway driving experience she got during her first year.

As a substitute bus driver, her schedule changes every day depending on which drivers are out and which areas need coverage.

One of the hardest parts of the job, especially at the start of the school year, is making sure each student gets off at the correct stop.

“Being on a different route every day makes it hard to remember hundreds of student names and stops – especially kindergarteners because they’re new,” Ezrre explains. “Students also forget their stop sometimes, so I always communicate with dispatch to avoid losing anyone.”

She recalls a surprising moment during a six-month long-term substitute assignment with middle school students.

“At first, I had so much trouble with these kids,” she says. “They were rowdy, and I dreaded driving this route.” But over time, something unexpected happened.

The students started greeting her with excitement, shouting to their friends, “Ms. Jackie! She’s my bus driver — she’s the best bus driver ever!” They would share stories from their day and ask how hers was going.

“Honestly, I didn’t know I could have such a soft spot for children I didn’t give birth to,” Ezrre tells PEOPLE.

When she had to give up that route, she admits she cried. Even now, the same students stop by her bus just to say hello and tell her they miss her.

What started as a last-ditch effort to find a job became a career she genuinely enjoys.

“At our office, it is mostly women driving, which I love,” she shares. “As a mom, this role fits me well. Women are more nurturing and can multitask, like driving a bus while tending to kids if needed.”

Each morning, Ezrre starts her day carefully, prepping her bus to make sure everything is safe, clean, and ready.

“I like making the bus clean for my students,” she says. “I want my students to enjoy riding my bus… Our bus represents us as drivers.”

Ezrre also highlights one of the biggest problems in school transportation: the ongoing shortage of bus drivers.

“I’ve noticed it’s a very undervalued but essential job,” she says. Many people think it’s too much responsibility for too little pay. Long summer breaks also make it hard for drivers to find part-time work.

She believes that more funding for public schools could help with driver shortages and make buses safer and more reliable.

Despite the challenges, Ezrre encourages other bus drivers to take pride in their work.

“You’re not just ‘a bus driver.’ You’re the first hello and last goodbye for kids every day,” she emphasizes. “You’re more than transportation; you’re part of their daily lives.”