While Gwendolyn Wright was raising a family and working a temp job, her sister Patricia Wright, a bus operator, encouraged her to apply at what was then known as the Metropolitan Transit Commission. She was skeptical, but applied, got the job and ultimately built a 40-year career as a bus operator. "I remained focused and achieved my goals," Wright said shortly before retiring in September 2020. "When I applied, I didn't think they were going to hire me. Over forty years later, here I am." 

Wright began her career at the Old Snelling Garage but soon moved to the garage she called home -- Nicollet. For 30 years, she served as a part-time operator, which gave her time to raise eight children and earn a bachelors degree. In the final 10 years of her career, she served in a full-time role. 

While she stayed at Nicollet for most of her career, Wright found variety by choosing different routes and learning how to greet customers in different languages. "My customers helped me learn how to say hello and goodbye in Spanish, American Sign Language, and Somali," Wright said. "It was great to be able to greet all my customers as they boarded my bus no matter what language they spoke. And when we couldn't communicate, a smile was a universal language."

At work, Wright also tried to make her co-workers feel welcome. She spent 14 years on the Peer Support team, offering a listening ear to co-workers in need. "It's important for operators to know they're not alone and that someone else has gone through something similar and come out OK," she said.  

Wright retired in September 2020 with plans to travel and spend time with her eight children and 27 grandchildren (with more on the way). "I gave my heart to Metro Transit," she said. "But now it's time to give more of mine to my family."