He earns the respect of those he serves

Terry Nevorski, 72, helps train new bus drivers and is a Baytown YMCA board member.

“I was a school bus driver for more than 10 years. Driving, I had no problems. The hardest part was taking care of the kids behind me. Some of them, they get ants in their pants and think they don’t have to sit down. But once I showed them that I was interested in their safety and that I cared for them, I never had any problems. I was the kind of bus driver that said, ‘Good morning. How are you doing today?’ When they left I said, ‘Have a nice day.’ They knew that I cared.

“Years ago, I worked for the State of Indiana as a correctional officer. The key to that job was to treat the inmates like they were human, not like animals. I knew they were in there for a reason. They broke the law and they were paying the price. But the only thing they should lose is their freedom. They shouldn’t lose their dignity.”

Did they respect you?
“Yes they did, because I showed them that I cared. I treated them humanely. And I had inmates who had my back. They told the other inmates, ‘Leave that officer alone. He’s fair.’”

— Terry Nevorski