GISD Bridges Graduate Advocates for Change
Upon meeting former Georgetown ISD (GISD) student and Bridges graduate Abby Gober, you will find that she has an unwavering passion for learning about and working with automobiles and transportation. A longtime student of GISD, Gober has been riding district buses to and from school since she was in second grade.
The Student
Abby and friends on her last day of school
“I had days at school where it was too hard and I just wanted to go home,” Gober said. “But then I would remember that once the end of the day came, it meant I got to hop on my favorite bus with my friends, and it kept me positive.”
On the last day of Gober’s senior year, she got a bittersweet surprise when she walked outside of her home to find three GISD buses and a group of community members and district employees waiting to wish her a farewell. It was the last time – or atleast, Gober thought it was the last time – that she would be near her favorite buses and employees.
The Intern
Further down the road when Gober entered the Bridges program, she was connected to a two-year internship with the GISD transportation department with the support of Bridges job coaches. There, she worked alongside the GISD Transportation Director David Gray and learned the ins and outs of public school transportation.
Abby working on one of the buses
“Abby is the kind of person who is hard working and always has a great attitude,” Gray said. “She worked well with the bus monitors and drivers, and it was always a joy to have her.”
The Advocate
Since Gober graduated from Bridges in May of 2022, she is ineligible to continue her internship with the transportation department and has transitioned to a job at Rivery Coffeehouse in Georgetown. Gober has carried her enthusiasm and hardworking attitude to this new position, but there is one problem she faces: unreliable transportation.
“Because I am a person with disabilities, I am unable to drive,” Gober said. “I am always worried that I will be late or miss a shift.”
Gober often relies on CARTS (Capital Area Rural Transportation System), a regional transportation service, when she has no other option of getting to work. The service requires riders to schedule the pick up two weeks in advance, leaving Gober with little-to-no flexibility in picking up shifts and changing her work schedule.
CARTS has recently brought an on-demand service, CARTS now, to surrounding areas Bastrop, Taylor, and Hutto. According to their website, CARTS now is a “low-cost, on-demand ride service that will allow the citizens of Bastrop, Lockhart, and Taylor to get from point A to point B on their own time.”
Abby at Rivery Coffeehouse
There have yet to be plans for CARTS now to come to Georgetown, but Gober hopes to change that. She has met with city council members about the possibility of bringing the on-demand service to Georgetown, and has remained a dedicated and outspoken advocate in the community.
“A lot of persons with disabilities lose their jobs or do not get hired due to unreliable transportation,” Gober said. “The public needs to know that people with disabilities, such as myself, have every right to be in the workforce and get a job.”
Another difference between CARTS and CARTS now is the price. Gober spends eight to 12 dollars a week on rides with CARTS, spending two dollars per ride to work and two dollars per ride home. CARTS now charges just one dollar per ride, which would bring Gober’s weekly spending on transportation down by half.
Gober is still in the beginning stages of advocating and faces roadblocks ahead, but she remains persistent and positive.
“As I watch Abby fight for this cause, she is well-spoken and gets her point across clearly.” Gray said. “I hope her audience is listening and other people are willing to support her efforts.”
“I am hopeful about the effect that CARTS now would have not only on me, but a number of others living in Georgetown,” Gober said. “God has told me to advocate for people, and that is what I am going to do.”
