Angie Martin is a state champion bus driver.

Martin, a bus driver within Pequea Valley School District since 2006, recently placed first in Pennsylvania's 47th annual School Bus Safety competition in State College, competing against the top 50 school bus drivers from across the commonwealth.

The victory provided Martin, who has driven for Brightbill Transportation since 2001, the opportunity to compete at the national competition in Austin, Texas, on June 27 and 28.

"I've been driving for 30 years," Martin said. "I am an instructor, and I do take safety very seriously."

Martin has competed at the state level numerous times, placing second in 2025's competition, for which she was honored by state Rep. Bryan Cutler. The state competition involves a closed course with pivot points, parallel parking, right turns and railroad crossings.

"You have parameters that you're judged to be within a certain amount of," Martin explained. "Just making sure you get no demerits or deductions for that particular event. ... It's teaching you reference points, and you've got to constantly be checking your mirrors. It's really just trying to fine-tune your skills and make you more aware."

Governor Josh Shapiro designated Oct. 20 through 24 as School Bus Safety week statewide last year.

"With another school year underway, school buses have returned to our roadways, and the Shapiro Administration is focused on getting young Pennsylvanians to and from school safely," said Dios Arroyo, PennDOT director of driver licensing. "School Bus Safety Week is an opportunity for everyone to pause and realize just how much our own actions behind the wheel can affect innocent young lives."

The national competition was highly competitive, with drivers from around the country, Martin said. She placed 18th in the nation in the "Class C" category after completing the written test on Saturday and the driving competition on Sunday.

Martin described that the national competition combines some events, uses different standards and uses ropes for barriers instead of curbs or tape.

"I always get nervous when it comes to these kinds of things," she said. "Being the first time, it was all brand new."

Martin got into driving buses when she was the mother of a young child. With the cost of day care, it made sense to find a job where she could take her kid to work with her. She first drove as both a substitute driver and for Handi-Crafters in Chester County before landing with Brightbill and Pequea Valley.

The freedom of the job kept her on it, even after child care was not a great concern.

"You don't necessarily have a boss on the bus," she explained. "We're the driver, but we wear many hats. We're counselors, we're nurses, we're confidants, we're moms. I just love that; I love being able to build the relationships that I've made with the students."

In the past, Martin was the primary driver for the Pequea Valley football team. She's touched the lives of hundreds of kids over her nearly 30 years as a driver.

"Once they're on my bus, they're my kids," she said. "The Pequea Valley community, I cannot say enough. ... At every level, they are just a wonderful group of administrators to work for, and they just go above and beyond."