Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2023 August)
Many of us are spurred to help after learning of a specific need in our community. We may contribute to a food drive to fill the depleted shelves of a local food pantry or organize a neighborhood clean up to remove litter from a nearby stream. Then there are helpers like Jay Corwin, whose innate desire to help others is known to everyone who knows him. Corwin’s love of helping others has led him to pursue careers in public service – first as a firefighter and now as a school bus driver. His desire to help has also resulted in him mentoring a young boy, becoming a trusted adult in the child’s life. Corwin’s ability to recognize needs both big and small and his willingness to help in whatever way he can serves as inspiration to us all.
Jay Corwin is a lifelong resident of Fairfax. After his birth in Fairfax Hospital in 1966, Jay’s family lived in the City of Fairfax for six years before moving to Centreville, where he still resides today. Corwin married in 1988 and he and his wife have two adult sons.
Seeking a career where he could help people, Corwin became a firefighter. During his career with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, he was assigned to firehouses throughout Fairfax County – first in Springfield, then Centreville and Clifton. Although Corwin loved being a firefighter and derived a lot of his identity from his job, he found that the stress and trauma of the job began taking a toll. “I was looking at retiring because your mind and your body, especially your mind, can only take so much of that job. It eventually gets you to the point where you’ve seen enough that it’s time to go,” he says. After 30 years of service, Corwin retired in 2014.
After retiring, Corwin knew he wanted to continue working since he was still young and fit but didn’t know what to pursue. Because he enjoys helping people so much, his sons suggested that he consider driving a school bus. Corwin liked the idea and began driving for Fairfax County Public Schools in 2015. Once on the job, Corwin found that it was a great fit. After years of driving fire trucks, driving a school bus was calm and easy. He also found that the skills he developed during his career with Fire and Rescue – a strong work ethic and punctuality – served him well as a bus driver.
In his new role, Corwin discovered opportunities to help every day, saying, “Every hour you have opportunities to help people. These kids need so much. It’s a good job if you like to help people because the needs are there.” Even simple things like admiring a child’s artwork can make a difference, letting the child know that adults around them care.
Corwin’s easy rapport with children also led him to mentor a boy with special needs. Corwin met the child on the first day of school during his morning pickup. New to the school, the boy refused to board the bus with the other children. Even the boy’s older sister warned Corwin that he was going to have a rough year. After some coaxing and cajoling, he finally convinced the child to get on the bus. After thanking him, Corwin invited him to sit up front so they could talk but discovered that the boy didn’t speak. Undeterred, Corwin talked while the child listened. It didn’t take long before the boy eagerly boarded the bus each day.
Eventually, Corwin was asked to mentor the child through Fairfax County Public Schools’ MentorWorks program. Meeting once a week in the classroom, they initially communicated by writing notes back and forth, but as their relationship developed, the child began speaking to him. Mentoring the boy was a gratifying experience for Corwin because of the positive impact he had on the child’s life. Corwin looks forward to opportunities to mentor more young people in the future, saying, “Not everybody has the patience to be a mentor. I was blessed with the ability to be able to communicate with people in their time of need, time of hurt or pain or whatever they’re going through.”
While a few of Corwin’s fire and rescue captains mentored him during his career as a firefighter, his mom was his greatest influence. The two shared a close relationship and she taught her son how to treat people, encouraging him to tell people that you value them. “A lot of times, people don’t know that they’re impacting your life, so you tell them, and it lifts them up,” he says.
In addition to sharing words of advice with her son, Corwin’s mother also shared her love of Elvis Presley with him. Often traveling for her work, Corwin’s mom would bring him with her and when the pair traveled to cities where Elvis played, they made a point of visiting the sites of his concerts – a fun activity that bonded the mother/son duo. On one occasion, the duo came close to seeing the King himself – in Richmond in 1972. Unfortunately, the show was sold out.
Like his mother, Corwin passed his love of Elvis onto his younger son, Michael. At Michael’s suggestion, the two resumed the tradition Corwin and his mother shared, traveling to cities where Elvis performed, visiting the concert locations, and taking photos. During each trip, they also visit restaurants and other places of interest to better appreciate the culture and history of the city.
After a few such visits, it occurred to them that other Elvis fans would enjoy what they were doing, so the pair started producing videos of their travels. They named their video series “Elvis Back on Tour” and describe it as, “A father and son team traveling the country touring locations Elvis Presley visited during his lifetime. A summary of our journey traveling the country keeping Elvis's memory alive by touring coliseums, hotels and other locations relating to Elvis.” Their YouTube video channel can be found at YouTube.com/@elvisbackontour. They also share their videos and other Elvis content on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. You can follow them @elvisbackontour.
According to Corwin, Elvis played in 130 cities during the 1970s, and he and Michael have visited 100 of them. The remaining cities are on the west coast, but they plan to visit them all eventually. Even to people who aren’t Elvis superfans, the videos are fascinating. The duo walks the halls Elvis strode, documenting the path with photos or video and contrasting it with images from Elvis’ time. Elvis Back on Tour has built an impressive following on social media and has gained the attention of local media during their visits to various cities. Although the attention is nice, what Corwin most enjoys is spending time with Michael doing something that they are both passionate about.
At only 57-years-old, Corwin has no interest in retiring any time soon. “I still love doing what I do – working with the kids. When it’s not enjoyable anymore, then it’s time to go,” he says. Even when he eventually does retire, he plans to stay active and engaged in his community. He also envisions more travel in his future. During his trips documenting Elvis, he enjoyed learning about the local history and eating the local cuisine in the cities he visited and would like to revisit a few and explore new cities. But for now, Corwin is happy to do what he does best – helping people.
To learn more about becoming a bus driver for Fairfax County Public Schools, visit fcps.edu/careers/career-opportunities/bus-driver-employment-opportunities.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).