Roman Kozlov

Behold a community raising a barn: the lifting of timbers, the reconnection with others, the offers of help by all for a common purpose. How can each of us set a positive example? How can we be of service in ways both big and small? What potential can be reached when we work together?

罗曼·科兹洛夫(Roman Kozlov)出生在乌克兰，父母是基督徒，他从小就被教育要考虑支持他人的价值. 他出生在这个国家正式宣布脱离苏联独立之前, 37岁的他观察到共产主义对他的家庭和社区的负面影响. As a child in Kamianske, his small village near Zaporizhzhia, 这个男孩看着他足智多谋的父亲在他们的温室里种满了黄瓜苗, roses and other plants that, once mature, could be sold in early spring to support their family. 由于国家需要，政府允许其公民种植并保留粮食的利润.

His father, Yuriy, was his hero, 科兹洛夫回忆说:“他的思想和心灵都专注于未来和他人的需求. “为了 获得一些东西，你必须准备好放弃很多，”他说他学到了什么. "And that's how I grew up. You had to have an attitude of giving first. 虽然团队比一个人更重要， 一个团队的力量取决于它的成员.

"I appreciate being self-sustaining, but you can achieve even more working together, lifting, motivating and encouraging one another."

Kozlov carries a humble heart to work at RTD, 在那里，他是25名部门主管之一，他们是该机构三个运营部门的支柱:东地铁, in Aurora; Platte, in Denver; and Boulder. At any hour, any day of the year, 科兹洛夫和他的同事们致力于确保RTD每天可以执行600次总线撤离的细节. 他说，节奏异常繁忙，“所有这一切都必须发生在10分钟前.”

但在俄罗斯方块谜题之外，还有人际交往的机会. 公交运营商与科兹洛夫交谈，分享他们的经验，并寻求他的想法. He listens.

“I tell them, life is so beautiful,” Kozlov said. “You don't even know how many people you helped today. You don't know how your kind words, strength and smile can uplift 10 or 10,000 people who can uplift others, the drivers and the passengers. It multiplies.”

Kozlov了解运营商的观点，因为他于2013年开始在RTD工作, 主要负责普拉特的路线，但也在博尔德和东地铁帮忙. 他知道肩负着对一辆大巴士和里面的人负责的感觉，同时还要注意周围所有的车辆. 他说，接线员每天遇到的人似乎无穷无尽. “Even though some customers may be demanding,” Kozlov added, “the thousands of daily thank-yous helped me keep going.”

In a supervisory role, 科兹洛夫觉得自己对同事负有父亲般的责任, whom he sees as his heroes, his family and his friends. “I believe in relationships down to my heart,” he said. “Find something great and illuminate that. 赞美伟大，人们就会相信并成为伟大的人. I have seen the true potential of people coming together.”

尽管政治冲突在背后发生, 科兹洛夫在乌克兰农村度过的童年基本上是幸福的. 他在学校学习努力，喜欢读书，喜欢星期天去教堂做礼拜. Summertime was warm and green. 他照顾鸡和兔子，在农场周围拖着一根软管给植物浇水. When the work was done, 他在家里的游泳池里游泳，这个游泳池是他父亲用铲子挖了两年的. 科兹洛夫第一次得到香蕉——这在苏联解体前是闻所未闻的奢侈品——他在去学校的3公里多的步行途中品尝了香蕉.

Kozlov 知道 他的家人努力工作来支持他和他的兄弟姐妹，但没有意识到社区对他们的重视程度. 9岁时，他的父亲死于白血病，他在葬礼上体会到了这种爱. He had never seen a caravan of mourners so long.

当他12岁的时候，科兹洛夫的母亲和继父在美国开始了新的生活. 在离开之前，他们把家庭农场卖给了朋友，几乎没赚一分钱. Kozlov boarded a flight, his first, layered in T-shirts and socks, 不知道在他的目的地是否有他的衣服. 大家庭在萨克拉门托的新公寓里见到了他们. The kitchen counter held a bunch of bananas.

科兹洛夫说，美国是他兜售给他的一个梦想，而且它是真实的. 美国是一个富足的国度，它可以通过努力工作、坚持不懈和运气来实现. He studied at Sacramento State University, went to work for a family business, and married Angela, his high school sweetheart, whom he calls "beautiful, solid, intelligent and wise," the part of life that makes him happiest.

2013年，科兹洛夫和他的家人决定搬到科罗拉多州. 一到他们的新州，他就需要找份工作来养家. 科兹洛夫是在布莱顿的一次教堂访问中了解到RTD的, 一位教区居民走过来，说他听说科兹洛夫需要一份工作. RTD is hiring, he said. Kozlov applied the next day for work as a bus operator. 后来他才知道，那个去教堂做礼拜的人是奥罗·彼得森，该机构的经理.

科兹洛夫说:“能够操作这些巨大的机器，我非常兴奋。. 作为一名大学生，“我想成为空军的一员. 我穿着棕色制服，那是海军陆战队的颜色. Driving to the airport, I remember telling one of my passengers, ‘Look, I'm flying a few feet above the ground in a bus, and I'm the pilot.’”

科兹洛夫说，公交运营商是真正的公仆，是我们城市的血脉. The profession is a calling, 他的同事们每天都以公众从未见过的方式努力工作. 但是他知道——因为科兹洛夫知道，他感激他们每一个人. The highest reward, he said, 看到过去的巴士操作员在RTD取得成功，他鼓励他们追求新的职位. 他们现在是分区主管、街道主管和调度员.

Kozlov became a U.S. citizen last year. What does it mean to be an American? The half Ukrainian, 一半的俄罗斯人很快回答说:“我很感激，也很荣幸能成为这个伟大国家的一员，并通过RTD为人民服务, a public service organization that has real, far-reaching effects on the local community.”