Jody Day has traveled the world and lived in many wonderful places, but she always returns home because of her unbreakable Rush-Henrietta roots. Even today, Jody, a member of the Class of 1959, continues to work for the district as an afternoon bus driver!

As a child, Jody says she was inspired by school administrators who encouraged all students to do their best. After finishing her schooling, she enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in 1959 and spent three years on active duty. She later served 20 years in the New York Army National Guard, retiring as a Sergeant First Class.

A 2005 recipient of the Rush-Henrietta Distinguished Alumni Award, Jody still demonstrates her unmatched passion for community service on a daily basis. A self-described small-town person, she thrives on her personal philosophy of neighbors helping neighbors. Jody, who spent nearly two decades as a licensed practical nurse, also donates her time as a longtime volunteer driver for the Rush-Henrietta Area Food Terminal. 

Jody moved from Rochester to Henrietta in 1951 and attended Rush-Henrietta Central School (now Roth Junior High School), a K-12 showplace that opened that same year. She was in fifth grade at the time. “It wasn’t scary,” she recalls. “It was like an adventure with so many new people. I remember that everyone was so friendly in what was then the farm country.” She and her peers from the Rush-Henrietta Class of 1959 recently celebrated their 60th reunion.

Surely, Jody never envisioned herself still driving a bus at the young age of 80. However, she knows that her efforts fulfill an important role and she enjoys supporting students and families.

“That’s why I keep doing it,” she says. “The kids are nice. An old saying is that, ‘Kids are people, too.’ Of course, they are growing people, so dealing with them requires some patience. I tell the kids, ‘If you can’t do anything else, just be nice. Be kind to one another.’ I’ve always had good kids on my buses.”

[Post 13] #75Posts75Years

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