From the start of the last school year, Saanvi Vangapalli anticipated her role as safety patrol captain at McNair Upper Elementary School in Herndon, Virginia, wouldn’t be simple.

Vangapalli had the unpopular role of making sure everyone on board a packed bus was following the rules, something that proved challenging in the case of two brothers. She tried to reason with them and explain the importance of following the safety procedures, but it took a lot of time before they truly understood what they should and shouldn’t do.

They eventually started listening to directions, Vangapalli said, and she felt proud that she had an impact on someone else’s life.

That persistence helped Vangapalli earn recognition as a Safety Patroller of the Year by the American Automobile Association, becoming

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