Marianne Morawiec, a bus driver at Pitner Elementary School in the Cobb County School District, has spent the past decade ensuring students arrive safely to and from school. In October 2024, Morawiec was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, she continued her duties as a bus driver whenever possible.
“Throughout chemotherapy I continued to work, but there were days here and there where it was too much so I wasn’t able to. My kids know Mrs. Marianne is always smiling and that it’s a good place when they’re on my bus so on those days I wasn’t feeling so great, I never let them see it,” said Morawiec.
Morawiec explained that working helped her maintain normalcy during treatment and that being around the students supported her through her year-long battle with cancer. “You don’t realize how strong you are until you have to walk down that bumpy road. The students, they actually made me feel better, just being around them was actually really helpful,” she said.
Now cancer-free, Morawiec expressed gratitude for her job and the opportunity to return each day. She also found encouragement knowing others were facing similar challenges.
The Cobb County School District plans to share more stories of breast cancer survivors throughout October, including additional accounts from Pitner Elementary School.
