After earning her GED through Project Learn, Nikole explored different jobs before an unexpected opportunity led her to a career she loves as a school bus driver in Summit County.
“Never in a million years did I see myself driving a school bus, but here I am and I'm grateful for the opportunity.”
— Nikole
After earning her GED through Project Learn, Nikole explored different jobs before an unexpected opportunity led her to a career she loves as a school bus driver in Summit County.
Nikole never imagined herself driving a school bus.
She was between jobs and searching for something more stable when she applied to more than 50 positions online. The first call she received was about becoming a school bus driver.
The position offered paid training and a hiring bonus, but the thought of driving a 15-ton vehicle was intimidating.
Still, Nikole decided to give it a chance.
"I knew this opportunity does not happen all the time so I went ahead and ran with it!" she recalled.
Today, she's a school bus driver in Summit County. It's a career she never expected, but one that gives her stability, a sense of purpose, and more time with her daughter.
When Nikole first came to Project Learn in 2018, she wanted to create better opportunities for herself and her family.
She knew that many jobs required a high school diploma or GED, and she didn't want her education to continue limiting her options.
"All of the good paying jobs required a diploma or GED," she explained. "I knew I was going to be stuck in a vicious cycle of low paying jobs if something didn't change."
One person she remembers especially well is Jackie Phillips, who was her teacher when she first started.
"Her demeanor and kindness that she showed made me look forward to class," Nikole said. "She believed in me before I could believe in myself."
Nikole's path to graduation wasn't continuous. She stepped away from her studies about halfway through, then returned a year and a half later to finish what she had started.
In July 2022, she earned her GED through Project Learn.
Earning her GED opened new possibilities, but Nikole still had to figure out what kind of work suited her.
She tried different jobs, often looking for better pay. Some required traveling as far as Lodi or Medina, and she eventually realized that a higher paycheck wasn't the only thing that mattered.
"Trying to find your place in the world is never easy," she said.
She wanted something she could build on, a job that offered stability and fit her life.
That's when the opportunity to become a school bus driver came along.
It wasn't something she'd planned, but the paid training gave her a chance to learn a new skill and pursue a different direction.
Earning her Commercial Driver's License (CDL) was a challenge.
Driving such a large vehicle was outside Nikole's comfort zone, and training came with its share of difficult moments.
"Earning my CDL was a huge accomplishment," she said. "A lot of tears were ahead during the training period."
But the experience also helped her build confidence.
Today, Nikole takes pride in the responsibility of transporting children safely and being part of their everyday lives.
"The responsibility that comes with being a school bus driver and being trusted to transport children is an honor," she said. "You get to watch children bloom and grow into their own personality."
She also appreciates the coworkers who supported her when she was learning the job.
What began as an unfamiliar opportunity has become a career she genuinely enjoys.
For Nikole, finding the right job meant more than having steady work.
It also meant being able to spend time with her daughter.
She's grateful to have a career she enjoys without having to work long hours that keep her away from her family.
And she's already thinking about how she might grow in the profession. One day, she'd like to become a trainer and help other people learn to drive school buses.
She also hopes to return to school to study forestry, an interest that goes back to childhood hikes and fishing trips with her father.
For now, she's happy with the direction her life has taken.
Looking back, Nikole is proud that she gave herself the chance to try things she once thought were beyond her reach.
Earning her GED was an important early step.
"Obtaining my GED was the first step I took for myself to regain control of my own life and its direction," she said.
Since then, she has learned that building confidence and finding the right path can take time.
Her career didn't come from a carefully laid-out plan. It came from trying different things, recognizing what mattered to her, and being willing to take an opportunity that initially frightened her.
For other Project Learn students who aren't sure what they want to do next, Nikole has a simple message:
"Be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day," she said.
She encourages others to consider opportunities that feel right and pursue something they genuinely enjoy.
Nikole never expected to find herself behind the wheel of a school bus.
Now, she's grateful she took the chance.
