Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) held a special recognition to thank the men and women who help safely transport more than 130,000 GCPS students to and from school each day. As part of the celebration, the district honored a select group of Transportation professionals who, through their hard work, dedication, and job performance, have proven to be the best of the best. GCPS named Michelle Caballero and Paul Dugan as its 2021-22 School Bus Managers of the Year, and Sybil Djengué has been named School Bus Monitor of the Year.
Michelle Caballero
Michelle Caballero, 2021-22 Regular Education Bus Manager of the Year
Michelle Caballero is known for having one of the more stylish buses in the GCPS bus fleet as she enjoys decorating and making signs for her bus. When she is not safely transporting students in the Meadowcreek Cluster, she enjoys walking in the park and spending time with family and friends. With 10 years as a driver, Ms. Caballero says her love of children and her co-workers, who she considers family, make doing her job fun and enjoyable. However, Ms. Caballero says the satisfaction of knowing that she is helping children get to and from school and home safely is what fuels her passion.
Paul Dugan
Paul Dugan, 2021-22 Special Education Bus Manager of the Year
Paul Dugan has been a bus manager for 15 years. He says he has always enjoyed driving and being around children so his job as a Special Education driver in the northern area of the county is a “winning formula.” Mr. Dugan shares that, in addition to driving, he enjoys training others. He says, “As a trainer I’ve had the privilege of meeting an array of interesting individuals and I’m happy to say many are still a part of Gwinnett Transportation.” When he is not behind the wheel of his bus, Mr. Dugan enjoys road trips, hiking, cycling, and spending time with his family.
Sybil Djengué
Sybil Djengué, 2021-22 Special Needs Bus Monitor of the Year
Sybil Djengué’s passion for her job is fueled by her interactions with students. “It makes me feel wonderful to work with my bus kids and to see the joy on their faces every day,” Ms. Djengué says. “I see the difference that I make in their lives. My bus kids laugh, smile, and give me hugs. This is the best part of the job for me.” Ms. Djengué serves students in the North Gwinnett and Lanier Clusters. She has been a school bus monitor for 10 years.
Charley Humble, GCPS executive director of Transportation, says he is proud of the honorees for going above and beyond expectations in spite of the challenges caused by the pandemic. “I am so pleased that our Transportation team came together and, not only persevered, but actually exceeded expectations in their delivery of high-quality, safe, and dependable service,” Mr. Humble said. “Our team knew that this year would come with challenges. It would be our first year of returning to face-to-face instruction, while still recovering from a significant shortage of drivers in our workforce, yet Ms. Caballero, Ms. Djengué, and Mr. Dugan persevered. Transporting students is not possible without the commitment, dedication, and love for students that our bus drivers and bus monitors possess, and I am proud of the ways in which they demonstrated those qualities.”
The selection of the 2021-22 winners is the result of an extensive process. First, they were nominated by their colleagues in their transportation zone. There are 25 regular education zones and 12 special education zones. Nominees then were given a written and driving skills test. Eleven finalists were selected—five regular education bus managers, three special education bus managers, and three special education bus monitors. A judging committee selected the winners from the finalists.
Although three people were selected as winners, Mr. Humble says the entire department is worthy of praise during this difficult time. “Our Bus Managers and Monitors serve as the district’s Directors of First Impressions,” he explains. “For nearly 75% of our student population, their bus driver is the first GCPS face that greets them in the morning, and the last face to send them off in the afternoon. Our Bus Managers and Bus Monitors understand the significance of this responsibility, and they take it very seriously. They work hard every day to make sure that students are not only delivered safely and on-time, but also in the right frame of mind to learn—and for that, they are to be commended.”