The bus driver who inspired a career

A curious kid, a patient bus driver, and a decade-long full-circle moment have combined to remind us that small kindnesses can have big mileage.

Let’s rewind…Back in fifth grade, Sam Mencimer was the kind of kid who always had questions, especially about buses.

• On his daily ride into Washington, D.C., on the city's Metro bus, the 10-year-old would pepper his driver, Joy Kenley, with questions about everything—from how routes were planned, to where buses “slept” at night. 
• And Joy never brushed Sam off, answering every question she could.

One day, she asked Sam if he and his family would like a tour of the bus garage, and he jumped at the chance.

• Sam got to climb into the driver’s seat, press the buttons he’d been so curious about, lower the wheelchair ramp, and even change the destination sign, just like a real driver. “I thought that was the coolest thing ever—still do,” Sam said.

That tour left an imprint. Over time, Sam’s fascination with transit only grew. After internships with D.C.'s Metro, he was eventually hired as a full-time signal engineer, still driven by the same curiosity that lit up those early bus rides. 

Meanwhile, Joy shifted to the rail side of the system, becoming a station manager.

Months ago, Sam looked up Joy in the company directory and found she was still working at Metro. He visited the station she managed—and after more than a decade, Joy recognized him right away.

Now the two work under the same agency banner, each keeping D.C. moving in their own way. Joy told CNN she remembered him as the kid who always asked “a million questions,” and was genuinely touched to learn she’d inspired part of his career path. For her, encouraging young riders was “just part of the job,” Joy said.