Pushing open the doors to the auditorium, one is at once engulfed into the world of theatre—the plush curtains and the spotlights reflected off the stage give off an undeniable allure to spectators, but once the curtains fall and the audience falls from view, an entirely new world comes to light. Backstage, a rush of activity and a permeable sense of camaraderie fill the stage, and among this flurry one person stands out, and with good reason: Cy Ranch Theatre teacher and Fine Arts department chair Cheryl Bradford.

Bradford was named as one of CFISD’s 2013-2014 Spotlight Teachers, an honor given to only 84 of the district’s 7,000 faculty members.

“I feel that by me being named [Spotlight Teacher],” she said. “I’m just taking one for the whole team. I was just the face of not only the Fine Arts department but of all of Cy Ranch, because there are a lot of amazing teachers here. I hope I’m living up to the nomination.”

Bradford was titled a “Creator of a Student-Centered Environment,” a testament to her contributions to the both Fine Arts department and Cy Ranch as a whole. However, the creation of such an environment, she insists, is entirely a group effort.

“We’ve got an amazing Fine Arts team,” she said. “We couldn’t put on the type of shows we do here at Cy Ranch, the sold out performances, without an entire team. I don’t feel like I’m anyone’s boss. I’m there to support them; I see that as my number one function as the department chair.”

Bradford along with fellow Theatre teacher Jane Bankston and Tech Theatre teachers Charles Page and Nathan Stanaland have led the department to incredible successes since the opening of Cy Ranch.  The Theatre department has been a yearly contender in the Tommy Tune awards, an Oscar-like honor for outstanding productions; the United States Institute for Theatre Technology competition, an award specifically for technical production; UIL One Act Play (in which they have regularly placed); and have sent an impressive number of students to compete at the national level.

“I attribute that to the incredible students I work with,” she said. “They are willing to take direction and put in the hours that it takes for a successful production. They get that to have a quality production you have to be willing to put in the work. You have to have heart and a passion for what you’re doing.”

Bradford, who has been working in education for 29 years, opened Cy Ranch in 2008 and helped build the theatre department from the ground up. That first year set the stage for the coming years—Cy Ranch made it to UIL Region and close to one fourth of the fledgling school population was involved in theatre.

“We had great successes that very first year, and that started the traditions that we’ve grown on,” Bradford said.

Bradford’s contributions to the school don’t end with traditional theatre classes, however. She is heavily involved in classes which cater to Life Skills students, and was instrumental in the creation of the new Creative Dramatics class.

Creative Dramatics is a theatre class created specifically for Life Skills students to give them a creative outlet in a comfortable environment. Along with a handful of student assistants and paraprofessionals, the students engage in theatre games and create small productions. Last year’s talent show showcased the Creative Dramatics students’ skills, when their Toy Story scene received a standing ovation and a second-place trophy.

Along with theatre, Bradford instructs the Adaptive PE class, a course that modifies traditional physical education for Life Skills students to fit their personal needs. Bradford works alongside student assistants and paraprofessionals to provide these students with beneficial regimens. According to Bradford, though, the students aren’t the only ones being helped.

“In the beginning, the student helpers feel that they are offering assistance to the Life Skills students,” she said. “What we all find out, though, is that the Life Skills students are really helping us.”

Being so closely involved with Life Skills students has “put things into perspective” for Bradford.

“If I’m having a stressful day, I walk into that gym and those kids come in with smiles on their faces, just excited to be there,” she said. “If they can do what they can do with a smile on their face, we’re all fully capable of waking up and giving our all.”

Though being named Spotlight Teacher is a tangible honor, Bradford said that the real awards for her years of teaching are the support she receives from the community and the relationships she builds with her classes.

“It’s a lot of hours, but then the curtain opens and you see the product on the stage and the students are so proud of the job that they’ve done,” she said. “It makes it all worth it.”