Sometimes, the most common occupations are the most important ones, and the most overlooked.

Karen Beatty could do a lot of things, but she chooses to drive a bus. Yeah, the money's nice, and, sure, the hours are flexible, but the position really fits Beatty's outgoing personality, her meticulous nature and her good-hearted character.

Besides, when you're passionate about what you do, you become good at it, and when you're good at something, you become passionate about it. It's a two-way street.

"I ask myself how I want to be treated and how I would want my kids to be treated," said Beatty. "I love my community. I love my school district. I love being part of my community."

Beatty, or "Miss Karen" to some, is employed by Shultz Transportation and operates a school bus in the Warwick School District, among others. Over the last 10 years, she's been the lady behind the wheel of bus No. 39, quick with a pleasant "good morning," always wearing a bright smile on her face, while never taking her eyes off the road.

"I'm the first person kids see at the beginning of their school day and the last person kids see at the end of their school day," said Beatty. "I'm a very good driver. I am trying to keep your kids safe and drive. Most bus drivers really do care about your kids. We're focused on the safety of kids, on the bus and around the bus. If bus drivers are saying something to kids, it's probably about a safety issue."

With 30 to 40 students on board, Beatty makes two different Lititz-area runs twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Each run consists of six or seven stops, and on the average, Beatty drives her bus 35 miles a day, five days a week throughout the school year.

But Beatty also helps out with the bus driving for extracurricular activities like band.

"It's a professional job," said Beatty. "I'm not their (the students') aunt or grandma. Physical touch is not allowed in any way. You really can't get attached, but you do care about them. They're in my heart and in my prayers."

Before becoming a bus driver, Beatty, who possesses a college degree in psychology, homeschooled her seven now-grown children. When she first started driving 13 years ago, it was a way to supplement her family's income, while continuing to teach and raise her kids.

At some point, Beatty's occupational line between practicality and sentimentality became blurred.

"I could be doing other things," said Beatty. "But it's a fun job. I love doing it. It's a job that has flexibility. It's weekends and summers off."