“Mr. Clay Brown is always more than willing to go above and beyond even his job as bus driver – even to the point of rearranging his personal appointments to make himself available for a school trip! He would be an excellent candidate for recognition.” -Mr. Tony Huff, Transportation Director
Mr. Clay Brown has been driving a bus for Licking R-VIII School District since March 2019. Born in the Mojave Desert in Yermo, California, Mr. Brown enjoyed a hot and dry climate as a child. After attending Barstow High School, Mr. Brown began working in railroad construction. Only 19 years old and working full time in the Death Valley Region of Sands, California, Mr. Brown found himself at the end of the line in terms of seniority. Through hard work and dedication, Mr. Brown worked his way through promotions to equipment operator and foreman before retiring in 2013.
“About ten years after leaving high school, I was determined to earn my GED,” said Mr. Brown. A naturally gifted learner, Mr. Brown struggled to find purpose and motivation in the general education classroom, but once he decided to take the high school equivalency test, Clay Brown passed with a nearly perfect score without studying.
In 1997, Mr. Brown moved to Missouri where his parents resided. He met his wife, Darla, in 2000 at church, which is where Mr. Brown encourages young people to find a wonderful mate. Mrs. Darla Brown was born in Arizona, and Clay and Darla met and formed a blended family. After retirement, Mr. Brown said he was searching for something to do to make a difference in his community. He knew he enjoyed working with young people, so he applied to be a bus driver. “Now I know,” said Mr. Brown, “that the more kids are in your care, the more you care for them. Every single student is special, even if they can be challenging. I get a chance to talk with young people and be a part of the team. I figure there are lots of ways kids need help, so it might as well be me that does it.”
In addition to building relationships with students as a bus driver, Mr. Brown is well respected by adults as a teammate. Even though he receives praise from those around him, Mr. Brown says, “I just do my part. I do the little things like inspecting my bus every day because I’m supposed to. It just starts with that,” reflected Mr. Brown.
Mr. Brown is proud of the life he has built with Mrs. Darla Brown. Together, they are parents of seven children. Adam, age 39, resides in Valencia, California, and is a security executive for Walt Disney Corporation. Torey, age 37, is a respiratory therapist in San Angelo, Texas. Elaina serves in the sheriff’s department in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is mother to Ethan and Kiersten, the Browns’ grandchildren. Marcelino, Laurea, and Robert are also the Browns’ children, along with Angel, age 36, their youngest child.
In his spare time, Mr. Brown enjoys working on classic cars. He is currently restoring a 1970 Plymouth. Mr. Brown enjoys playing guitar and hanging out with his wife. Mr. Brown is a positive spirit who displays genuine care and concern for adults and children in his path. Dependable and willing to volunteer as needed, Mr. Brown is a critical member of the school team. For these reasons, we are honored to feature Mr. Clay Brown as December Spotlight Staff Member!