Driver 'Ms. Deb' busts a rhyme for Worthington students on bus 'Sweet 16'

Driving a school bus seven hours a day for five Worthington Schools buildings is only part of Deb Hedke's wheelhouse.

“Give me a beat. Here we go now, stomp, stomp, clap,” says Hedke, better known as Ms. Deb, as she gears up students in a rhythm so she can deliver her latest rap song.

“My name’s Ms. Deb, and I am the driver of bus 16 in a district that’s finer,” she says with a funk the morning of Sept. 27.

“I brought you to Evening Street Elementary School on this fall morning where the weather is cool.

“When you depart the bus to go inside, Mr. Snively awaits to give you high fives. And after the steps that you go down, you get a ‘good morning’ from Mrs. Pound.”

Hedke, 65, writes her hip-hop song, adjusting verses to fit the occasion, whether she’s driving band students home from a football game or for one of the three retirement parties where she has performed.

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Hedke, who grew up in Westerville and graduated from Westerville High School in 1975 and Otterbein College in 1979, said she hopes her raps lets students know how special they are and how proud she is of them.

The 28-year Worthington resident, who formerly worked as a substitute teacher and bus driver for Westerville in the late ❜70s and early ❜80s, said her father, the late Edward Hedke, was her role model and best friend.

“I got my first vehicle to share with my dad when I turned 16 at my surprise birthday party,” she said. “You see, my dad was an over-the-road truck driver who taught me how to drive and made me the driver I am today. Growing up I always drove older, unique vehicles. So when anyone saw them, they knew, ‘There goes Deb.’”

So when she was hired for a Worthington Schools bus route about 11 years ago, it came with a new bus numbered 16.

“It was one of two buses (now three) on our entire lot of 99 buses that had a black hood,” Hedke said. “So when I first climbed aboard my new, unique bus 16, it put me in tears of joy. My dad passed away the year before, but every time I get behind the wheel of my bus, I feel close to him.”

She nicknamed her bus “Sweet 16.”

“I tell the kids, ‘You take care of the inside. I’ll take care of the outside. Let take pride in our ride,’” Hedke said.

She also has a reward system for her routes that include Colonial Hills and Evening Street elementary schools, Kilbourne Middle School, Thomas Worthington High School and Sutter Park Preschool.

She sends questionnaires around to riders to find out their favorite colors, sports, movies and animals.

At holiday break, the younger students earn a bag in their favorite color with their names written on it with stickers, pens, pencils, some type of game and other goodies. High school students receive their choice of a journal or drawing pads and other age-appropriate gifts, she said.

Mary Rykowski, Evening Street principal, said she loves Hedke’s enthusiasm and that Hedke loves the children.

“And she makes the ride fun to school,” Rykowski said. “Ms. Deb is just joyful with the kids. She knows every one of their names.”

J.D. Satterfield, an Evening Street fifth-grader, said he thought Hedke’s rap was pretty good Sept. 27.

“I didn’t expect it,” he said. “She told us, but I didn’t know the lyrics. It was a good rap. She’s a good bus driver.”

Wes Poland, a fellow rider and Evening Street fifth-grader, said, “She has been rapping on the bus, but I didn’t know she was an actual rapper. She’s a really good bus driver. I’m glad that we have a good bus driver. And I’m glad that she raps. We both really like rap.”

Hedke said she has been a Worthington driver for 11 years and started writing poems in her third year of driving and began rapping in her fifth year.

“It kicked my energy level up doing the raps postpandemic,” she said.

“Deb Hedke is a good example of a Worthington bus driver,” said Tracy West, director of transportation. “One who connects with her students and shows them she cares about them.”

Hedke said she wants students to think of her as a safe, caring and fun bus driver who brings joy to their lives and makes them laugh and smile a lot.

She ended her rap Sept. 27 this way: “As off I go to park the bus until another day. Its been my honor and pleasure to drive you today.”

mkuhlman@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekMarla

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Worthington Schools bus driver 'Ms. Deb' raps for students