<\/strong>Shirley grew up in Wartrace and graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1975. Shortly after, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served eight years as a machinist\u2019s mate. He worked on board the USS Nimitz during its first year in service, as well as on two other ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was fun, and I saw a lot of places,\u201d Shirley said. \u201cI met a lot of good people. I\u2019m still friends with many of them today. But people always ask me what my favorite place was, and I tell them I spent all my money getting back to Tennessee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A career of many hats \u201cI never practiced fully as a nurse \u2014 just as an extern for about a year before the factory called me back,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the training wasn\u2019t wasted. The psychological and caring aspects of nursing still help me today. It gave me a deeper understanding of people.\u201d Shirley has always been drawn to roles that allow him to help others, and his experiences, from Navy service to nursing to manufacturing, have shaped his outlook on patience and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding his place behind the wheel He worked two years with Moore County Schools before joining Tullahoma City Schools, where he now drives a bus serving students who have special needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI absolutely love it,\u201d Shirley said. \u201cThe students aren\u2019t different. What they need is different. They\u2019re up against a lot, like all kids today, but each has unique challenges. I\u2019m thankful I get to be part of their lives.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n A day on the route \u201cThat\u2019s four times a day those students pass my seat,\u201d he explained. \u201cThat\u2019s 56 times a day. Do that five days a week, and that\u2019s 280 times God has trusted me with the opportunity to smile, to say an encouraging word, or just to show them there\u2019s hope in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shirley added that for him, every interaction is a chance to plant a seed of kindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople ask how I put up with it,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I don\u2019t see it that way. I see kids who deserve to be treated just like everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faith and second chances \u201cI was a heavy drinker, and I finally told God, \u2018This is a wreck. If you can put it back together, here it is,\u2019\u201d Shirley said. \u201cFrom that day forward, He took it from me. I\u2019ve been sober ever since. People ask how I quit just like that, and I tell them, \u2018I couldn\u2019t. But God could.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His faith informs the way he treats his students, co-workers, and community. It\u2019s also what gives him strength during long days and what keeps him grounded in gratitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Serving students, serving the community \u201cWhen those kids get on my bus, I want them to know they matter,\u201d he said. \u201cThey deserve the same respect and opportunities as anyone else. That\u2019s what keeps me coming back every day.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE DAY begins early for Mike Shirley; often before the first bell rings or the sun peeks over the horizon. As a bus driver for students who have special needs at Tullahoma City Schools, Shirley does far more than just navigate his route. He provides stability, compassion, and a safe start and finish to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":24564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/12\/Story-1-photo1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/strong>After leaving the Navy, Shirley began a long career at Cleveland Pneumatic, where he worked on aircraft landing gear systems from 1980 until 2018. When layoffs hit in the 1990s, he took the opportunity to return to school, enrolling at Motlow State Community College and earning a nursing degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>While driving a school bus wasn\u2019t something Shirley originally imagined, he did see it as a job opportunity, and it also helped that he already had his CDL. Applying in 2020 for a bus driver position, he quickly discovered the job was more than just driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/12\/4-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/strong>Shirley\u2019s schedule doesn\u2019t follow the same rhythm as a typical bus driver. Because his students attend school for varying hours, his day involves multiple trips back and forth, starting early and ending late. At some point each day, Shirley said he sees about 14 different students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Shirley credits his faith with sustaining him. For years, he struggled with alcohol, but on Sept. 4, 2013, he made a life-changing decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/12\/3-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/strong>Though he\u2019s worn many hats in his life as a Navy machinist, aircraft mechanic, and nurse extern, Shirley sees driving a bus for children who have special needs as one of the most rewarding roles he\u2019s ever had. It\u2019s not simply about transport; it\u2019s about trust, relationships, and making sure every child feels valued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n