Donna Sternthal said she was embarrassed upon learning she had taken first place in Pupil Transportation Association of Pennsylvania's 2003 Driver of Year contest.

"It was like, 'Oh my gosh! Why would someone get singled out?'" said the Sharpsville resident who has been driving Hermitage School District's bus No. 33 for almost nine years.

"Everybody else deserves to have recognition, too; it's not just one person. Everybody deserves it for something they do during the day." The reluctant winner accepted the award June 26 at the organization's annual banquet in Penn State Days Inn, State College.

District transportation directors submitted nominations based upon driver performance and commitment to excellence in school bus safety. Ms. Sternthal, a Student Transportation of America employee, was nominated by Tess Redfoot.

"She's always behind the scenes," said Ms. Redfoot, transportation coordinator and student registrar for Hermitage schools. "She always goes above and beyond and doesn't want any credit. It was actually the first award (the group has) awarded in western Pennsylvania. The others went out east."

Hickory High School in Hermitage praised Ms. Sternthal for her work the week of Dec. 9 by naming her "Staff Member of the Week."

Jodi Snyder, PTAP's administrative director, said the group has no concrete guidelines for selecting the winner. "We just go by what nominations come in, and who is the best qualified. The award is for outstanding service and commitment to safety."

Ms. Redfoot, in submitting the nomination, said Ms. Sternthal has always related to students in a positive manner which allows her to manage student behavior while driving a safe bus.

Ms. Sternthal said as a driver she annually takes care of about 180 students. "The little kids, in kindergarten," are the best part of the job, she said. "There's always one that you kind of single out, though you don't want to, and becomes your favorite."

Conversely, she has found middle school students to provide the biggest challenge. "They think they know it all," said Ms. Sternthal. "You get them straightened out at school, then they go home and have no home life. When they get together in a group, they're always trying to prove something to each other."

The behavior of students, Ms. Sternthal thinks, has deteriorated over her career as a driver. "It's getting worse," she said. "There's a lack of home life, and there are not two parents at home. If somebody does something wrong, 'It's not my kid who did that.' It's you against every teacher, you against every principal, you against every parent or kid."

Ms. Sternthal has nothing but high praise for those with whom she works. "The school district does work with you. When FTA bought out Garrett, we were leery about it, but so far they're standing behind us."

A retired school teacher encouraged Ms. Sternthal to look into becoming a school bus driver when she needed a job. "Mr. Garrett (former owner of the Hermitage-based bus garage) told me how to do it. He helped me get started and I give all credit to him."

Now a veteran, Ms. Sternthal does what she can to help new drivers. "I needed the job so badly I didn't want to complain when the bus was cold," she said of working in winter months. "I drove for a year and a half before learning there's a switch for the heat. Now, I tell new drivers, 'There's a switch for heat.'"

Most people, according to Ms. Sternthal, go day to day. "A bus driver goes 20 minutes to 20 minutes. It's keeping that $75,000 vehicle on the road, watching traffic, having 72 loud kids behind your back, glancing up into the overhead mirror trying to maintain some kind of order, addressing questions or concerns that seem legitimate at the moment.

"You hope you get them all home safely, and not missing a bus stop, without incident. If something does happen along the way you have to make a split second decision and hope it's the best one at the time. In everything, hindsight, there's always something you could have, or should have done differently. Our reassurance is that those good people back at the terminal and school are going to stand behind you and your decision."

For those in her profession, Ms. Sternthal said certain things always are worrisome. "The most feared words a bus driver can hear is 'I'm gonna throw up,' and hope it isn't in the past tense."

You can contact Herald Staff Writer Lisa Mehler at lmehler@sharonherald.com