Local Bus Driver Receives Scholarship From The British Embassy

Diego Sánchez Quiceno works as a bus driver for the Integrated Public Transport System of Bogotá (SITP). He has worked for Bogota´s public transport system for a year and four months but has been working on a side project: learning English in his free time. Whenever he is not on the job, he spends his time learning the language.

The 26-year-old drives from 4 pm to 10 pm every day. Diego carries English books by his side, and whenever he hits a red light or a bus stop, he opens his books to learn. He works on grammar and practices his pronunciation out loud.

Like many stories nowadays, this was recorded by a TikTok user. It went viral and was published in the national newspaper, El Tiempo. There has been city-wide recognition of Diego´s desire to learn and his determination to make the most out of his free time and his time on the job. 

How did they find him?

The video caught the eye of the British embassy in Bogota. The office got in contact with both the British Council and the bus operator to find the young bus driver and get in touch with him. 

They went to TransMilenio, Bogota´s main massive transport company. At Transmilenio, they were referred to the operating company of the buses, and they were able to find Diego. He was directly approached by George Hodgson, the British ambassador, who went to his employer’s headquarters in the north of the city, just before Diego began his shift. 

Diego was already on his bus and just about to leave for the city´s northern highway when the ambassador approached him. Hodgson handed Diego a scholarship for him to study for six months at the British Council. Confused, Diego was worried at first that he was going to be sacked due to the video. He could not believe what was happening. 

Were these practices safe?

The General Manager of Express Consortium, Johana Carrillo, evaluated his practice of learning on the job and concluded that it was not dangerous. She stated that “when the vehicle stood still, he reviewed all mirrors and did not endanger any lives.”

Diego always carries with him a bag with three English books. Top of the list is the book he uses to learn about grammatical structure and vocabulary. This is the one that he reads while he is working. He also brings an English manual called “Let´s Talk English,” besides a worn-out notebook where he writes down notes to help his learning process as a self-taught English speaker.