It seems like yesterday when Ada Kassa began her career as a CDL instructor at the OCNJ Driving School. Today, 10 years later, she still revels in the delight of watching her students take to the road after passing the state license.

“I feel a great sense of accomplishment in knowing people are succeeding and helping them to progress in their lives,” Ada says.

Ada was working as a school bus driver in Pine Brook for 21 years when she joined the OCNJ Driving School and taught her first class of 15 students. Since then the school has grown in leaps and bounds, and currently, hundreds graduate yearly and have success getting steady, well-paid employment.

Ada’s day begins early in the morning in the classroom and ends after behind-the-wheel training at the Bloomfield facility. The grandmother of four admits that there have been challenges along the way but says that the fact that she is a “people person” makes the job worthwhile.

“Sometimes I will be driving down the street and a bus pulls up behind me, blowing its horn. When I see that it’s one of my former students behind the wheel, I get a lot of satisfaction. It’s a great feeling.” she says.