It was an ordinary Wednesday morning on bus route 7 when something small—but very big to one student—went wrong. Young fiver Juliette, a Hamilton Elementary student, boarded the bus with her necklace, only to have it break apart during the ride.
Behind the wheel that day was Hamilton Community Schools transportation dispatcher and substitute bus driver, Mr. Jason Hoogeveen, known to students as "Mr. Jason." Seeing Juliette’s disappointment, he knew he couldn’t simply let the moment pass.
“The necklace broke completely, so I couldn’t fix it,” Hoogeveen explained. “But I felt obligated to try and help her out and give her a boost for the day.”
After dropping off his route, Hoogeveen went out of his way to purchase a new necklace and carefully attached Juliette’s original unicorn charm. Remembering her tears, he also picked up a special surprise—a unicorn stuffed animal to match the charm.
Later that day, the gifts were delivered to Juliette in her classroom. What started as a rough morning turned into one full of smiles and excitement thanks to Mr. Jason’s thoughtful gesture.
“With the community and all the kids that are on the bus, sometimes it just takes that little extra step to brighten someone’s day,” Hoogeveen said. “That’s what we do every morning—on the bus, in the schools, in the classrooms. I just felt something within me to get her over the fact that something devastating had happened.”
The story came full circle the next morning when Juliette handed Mr. Jason a heartfelt thank-you card. Holding it up with a smile, he shared, “It’s just a thank you for fixing the necklace, and I appreciate it very much.”
