At Lasell College, Rob Davis will always be known colloquially as “Rob the Shuttle Driver”. It all began when he joined Lasell in September of 2011 as the shuttle driver, taking kids from the T stop, to CVS, and around campus.
“I wasn’t just a driver, I was a listening ear,” says Davis “The shuttle was a place for the kids to go to feel comfortable and accepted. It was more than just a shuttle.” Students developed friendships with him and riding the shuttle always felt like a safe haven, a bit of a social scene, and a home.
Over the summer, Davis was approached by the Lasell College campus police and offered a job as an evening administrative assistant. At first he was hesitant because of his love for the shuttle, but he decided to accept and in the fall began working in the campus police office. In early October, he decided to put in his two-week notice.
“Clerical and office work really isn’t for me,” Davis explained. While students occasionally stop by the office and see him, he is usually busy and only has time for a wave and a quick “hi.”
Students are devastated about the news. Sophomore, Mary Jo Fisher, is trying to fight for Davis’s position back as shuttle driver. She started a petition for the college to keep him, which over 300 students have signed.
“I think it’d be really great if we could all come together as a community at Lasell to fight for him to stay! For me, Rob has been an amazing influence. He’s constantly happy and smiling; it’s impossible not to love him. Lasell would definitely not be the same without him,” Fisher said. Davis is flattered by the love and support from students but isn’t encouraging the petition.
“I’m as sad as the students are, but it was my decision to leave,” Davis said. While the petition sends a positive message about how much the campus cares about Davis, there is a new shuttle driver.
Davis received his Class B CDL License this past summer, which permits him to drive vehicles of school bus size and smaller. When he is finished with the administrative position at Lasell, he will be going back to his hometown of Hanover, MA and driving school buses for high schoolers. He plans to use this as an interim job and to find another campus like Lasell, with a shuttle service, where he can work with college-aged students.
“It’s tough” said Davis, whose last full-time day at Lasell will be today, October 20. Students alike are upset about his decision to leave, as he has become an important part of the Lasell community. “Of all of my jobs I’ve ever had, [driving the shuttle] was my favorite. What the students don’t realize is that they have brought me as much joy as I have them. I want to let the kids know that I think the world of all of them. I will miss them all.”
Although Lasell won’t be the same with Davis always around campus somewhere, good news hit students on Thursday, when it was heard that Davis may continue to drive Lasell’s Saturday shuttle to the Natick Mall and be a substitute fill-in as needed through campus police.