BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Sometimes, a smile or a wave is is all you need to turn your entire day around. Happiness can come in different forms, and you may never expect it to come from a school bus.
But Ian Marciniak knows the bus drivers and bus aides will always bring a smile to his face.
"His mom is trusting us to get on the bus with him. It's bad enough they're not there, so they have to trust us to know we're loving on them and doing the best we can," bus driver, Jazzie Myree said.
Ian is a 14-year-old with nonverbal autism and is very sensitive to certain atmospheres. When he comes to the bus, he covers his ears because of the noise. His mom said it can be challenging to figure out a way to interact with Ian, especially if you don't know him. That's why it was all the more impressive for her to see these bus monitors work with Ian to make him smile.
"I never thought that would happen. I just put my child on the bus and hope they're safe and these women have made it a really great environment for him where he's excited to go to school everyday," Ian's mom, Dana Marciniak said.
Through an awesome handshake! Ian and his bus monitor, Regina Bozeman, pat their legs and give each other a big high five before they get on the bus to go to Olmstead 156.
In the 1+ years Regina has worked with Ian, she's noticed his growth and comfort with her has risen so much. Now, it's just like a couple of friends saying hi to one another everyday.
"I thought he would never get to the point where he was comfortable in doing stuff with me like that... This is a passion. I love being with autistic kids. It warms my heart because if I can give the love, that's a good thing," Bozeman said.
