"My mom, she works in transportation as well, and my sister works here. She really pushed me to, not only do bus, but pursue further in a career here at VTA. It means a lot for me to show other women we can do it, too."
"You know, I grew up around it. It's a really a big deal in my family. And they're very excited and ecstatic to see me grow and start my career."
"Full circle moment. It's just something that I always wanted to share with them, but if he was still around, he'd be the first one here, he'd be wanting to jump my arms. And he'd just tell me, 'good job.' And he'd be so proud, too."
The Valley Transportation Authority celebrated National Transit Employee Appreciation Day by honoring sixteen graduates who became bus operators in Santa Clara County. Many graduates pursued this career motivated by family connections to transportation. Victor Sevillano's journey reflects deep personal significance—his father operated buses until his death in 2018, and his cousin Adrian Balleza was killed in the 2021 VTA workplace shooting. Despite these tragedies, Sevillano pursued his childhood dream of becoming a bus operator, viewing his graduation as a full circle moment honoring his family's legacy. Other graduates, like Kiely Bowden, were inspired by mothers and sisters working in transportation, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating career opportunities for women in the field.
#vta-bus-operators #family-legacy-in-transportation #career-development #workplace-tragedy #employee-appreciation
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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