Employee Spotlight: Janet Crank

Hi, I am Janet of the Táchii'nii (Red Running into Water People), born for the Kiyaa'áanii (Towering People). My maternal grandparents are the Tábąąhá (Edge Water People) and my paternal grandparents are the K'aa' dine'é (Arrow People). I am Navajo and grew up on the reservation.

I’ve been driving with Senior Services for almost a year. Before coming here, I was a bus driver for Salt River Elementary School. I started there around 2010.

I grew up around a lot of animals— sheep and chickens and cows and horses. It took me a while to understand why we never went to the grocery store. My mom would always tell us not to name those babies but we always did.

I grew up speaking Navajo. My mother wove blankets. My aunt too. They taught me some. My uncle did silver and taught me some of that. Another aunt did beading. She taught me. I liked it and I still do. I like to get out my beads whenever I have time.

I went to a boarding school on the reservation first through eighth grade. I learned English there. I went to another boarding school for high school. It was in Snowflake. On weekends, the girls would work as housekeepers in town and the boys went to a pig farm—they would come back stinking! We were paid and the school taught us how to budget. In the evenings, with our money, they’d take us to the movies or to eat at a restaurant. They taught us which forks to use and how to order and to eat with manners.

After high school, I came down to the Valley with a cousin to work. I had several jobs and good bosses. One at Phoenix Elementary encouraged me to become a bus driver. She’d take me out for practice drives and help me study for the test. I passed the second time and that is how I became a bus driver.

Now I am here. The seniors are a bit better behaved than the kids. Haha. I drive the shuttle to events, but I also help out in the kitchen and with meal delivery. I get to know the seniors and I let them know what is going on like the bingo or the dances. I attend all the events. I even learned how to do the chicken scratch!

I live in town so when I am here, I enjoy the open space—all the land, canals and quiet roads. I love walking. I walk the canal during my lunch break. I love to see the white cranes and the ducks. I enjoy looking at quail too.

I am just glad to be here.