HUMANS SHS OF
MATT AND LINDA HARDIN Isabela Diaz & Abby Doriot Staff Writers
While bus drivers Matt and Linda Hardin may have started off driving to help with their children’s schedules and to make more money to allow them to farm, it blossomed into something completely different. Linda Hardin’s love for helping people drew her into
SHE WAKES UP EARLY TO TAKE US IN THE MORNING TO SCHOOL. THAT IS SOMETHING I KNOW I WOULDN’T DO, SO IT REALLY TAKES A SPECIAL SORT OF PERSON TO DO THIS. YOU CAN REALLY TELL THAT SHE CARES ABOUT ALL OF THE PEOPLE SHE HAS ON HER BUS,” Ellie Bryson (10) 8
February 2020
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driving the school bus. “Linda is my regular bus driver, so she drives me to school and back home every day. She wakes up early to take us in the morning to school. That is something I know I wouldn’t do, so it really takes a special sort of person to do this. You can really tell that she cares about all of the people she has on her bus,” Ellie Bryson (10) said. They also drive buses to sporting events as well as their usual routes. Instead of dropping off the team and leaving, they actually stay and watch the game, match or meet. The athletes that they drive have only good things to say about them. Photo by Donald Arbuckle “Anytime we want After completing his farming duties, Matt Hardin and his wife, Linda, smile while standing in front of Linda's bus to go out to eat after with their granddaughter, Kylie. a meet, Matt gladly takes us. It’s really ball. Every time Matt drives our team to 33 years and Linda Hardin driving for nice to have something to look forward a meet he sits on the lines of the course 21, they could not help but feel the conto after a meet,” Tristian Rowland (11) in a lawn chair, he brings a newspaper nection with the players and students said. and reads them until we run past. Then they drove. Not only do the players have gen- when he sees us, he cheers for us. The “I really like being around the kids, uine, nice things to say about the two first time I remember him doing this it and I enjoy spending time with them,” drivers, but the players’ appreciation was at Paoli. Paoli has a killer hill, and Linda Hardin said. goes deeper than any words can ex- it is just a really hard course. He sat at “I have a connection with a couple press. the bottom of the hill and cheered us of players, and I like watching them “Our cross-country team doesn’t re- on. It was really nice to have someone play,” Matt Hardin said. ally have a fan base that travels with cheering us on who wasn’t a coach or a With the growth of their love for the us because it isn’t really considered a parent,” Kristen Skelton (11) said. players and students, it was more than spectator sport like football or basketWith Matt Hardin driving the bus for just a job for Matt and Linda Hardin.
