I had the chance to meet Bob Bradshaw at the end of my sophomore year, and in my time with him, I have learned just how committed he has been to Tampa Prep, first teaching there from 1992 to 2019, and to helping others, even now. Now, as he reaches his fifth year of serving Tampa Prep, even while retired, he is still listed on the faculty as the director of community/senior services, serving the TP community through his four service clubs. Even though it takes him about 40 minutes to get to school from his home in St. Pete, he always dedicates time to attending school sporting events.
Lisa Harman, the former dean of students, described Mr. Bradshaw as “dedicated.”
He has long been committed to Tampa Prep and the Key Club service clubs, and he serves as the faculty adviser for Students for Seniors, Teen Court, St. Pete Claver, and Graham Elementary.
Students for Seniors is a service-oriented club where students volunteer to help the elderly living in residential homes at Brookdale Bayshore. It has been running since 2008. St. Pete Claver allows Terrapins to help elementary school students; it has been running since 2012. Graham Elementary is similar, as both programs enable students to help elementary schoolers, but they take place on different days, and Graham Elementary has been running for longer, beginning in 1994. Finally, through Teen Court, students can serve as jurors for court cases in the 13th Judicial Court, and Mr. Bradshaw uses his legal experience to help students participating in it.
“Mr. Bradshaw is always there, no matter the occasion, even if there’s been an issue, ready to support students,” said Gaby Richter, a recently graduated senior who served as the Students for Seniors President.
But, recently, Mr. Bradshaw has learned to prioritize himself more, as he takes breaks from his service-oriented clubs if he feels too tired to drive or, in light of the recent hurricanes, if he loses power.
Generally, though, rain or shine, he is there and not just for TP students. In Teen Court, started in 1992 by Mr. Bradshaw at Tampa Prep, when everyone leaves after the case has concluded, he waits until every car has gone. No matter if he must wait 10 minutes or an hour for a child to be picked up, he will be there.
“I feel it is my duty to watch over these children, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to a child,” Mr. Bradshaw said. In addition to always watching over students, he can be thanked for why Teen Court no longer has awards, as Tampa Prep students would time and time again win the awards for best defense attorney, etc.
In addition to helping push students to achieve their fullest, he helps other individuals in the Tampa area. At Brooksdale Bayshore, he also serves as a friend to the elderly. When the school hosted the production “Fahrenheit 451,” Mr. Bradshaw even agreed to drive the elderly to watch the show.
Additionally, even while Mr. Bradshaw prefers to let the kids shine in performing at Brooksdale Bayshore at a Christmas Party, “he sang karaoke and is now more willing to sing karaoke like when he sang Blueberry Hill for a resident,” Richter said.
But, in the end, he lets the students take the lead in engaging in meaningful conversations with the elderly about family life and high school, allowing them to compare their experiences in such diverging worlds.
Throughout his life, Mr. Bradshaw has always been known to be giving. He “gives his time, his energy, and meaningful advice to others,” said Doug Smith, the history department chair.
Many point to Mr. Bradshaw’s belief in always standing up for what is right, which is advice not to be taken lightly. As a member of the civil rights movement, he put his words into action.
As a teacher, he is always sure to send long responses and take notes on everything. In fact, at faculty meetings, “Mr. Bradshaw would bring a legal pad to every meeting to take notes,” said Smith, as Mr. Bradshaw always comes up with thought-evoking responses.
In the past, he even served as the faculty adviser for Ambassadors for Good Will, a club considered so popular to the school that he had even considered making it a national organization.
Mr. Bradshaw developed The Ambassadors of Good Will program after speaking to seniors at a senior retreat in 1990. Having left coaching, “I missed having a sense of team and wanted to reestablish a sense of community,” Bradshaw said.
The Ambassadors of Good Will encourage and help students make good choices, allowing them to do something better with their time. At one point, it even comprised 20 committees. While it only lasted from about 1990 to 1993, it still unofficially runs as Mr. Bradshaw continues to inspire students to move with a “Higher Purpose Than Self,” as the Tampa Prep mission states.
With stories such as the time Mr. Bradshaw and others helped a teacher move into her home in merely 3 hours, Mr. Bradshaw has left such a profound impact on Tampa Prep that the Bradshaw fund was established. ” You don’t get a fund without being a person like Mr. Bradshaw,” Smith said.
As a part of the fund, Anthony Ray Hinton, an American activist who was wrongfully convicted of murders in 1985, was even able to visit the school after spending 28 years on death row, as well as Raymond Arsenault, a Southern history professor, and John Pendergrass, a civil rights activist.
He is “the kind of person everyone copies on how to behave, and teachers wonder how to translate how he behaves to themselves,” Harman said.
In his time at Tampa Prep, Mr. Bradshaw won the Alumni Faculty Award, awarded to a teacher who best represents Tampa Prep’s values.
Beyond the school level, the question remains: what has Mr. Bradshaw yet to do? Over his years, he has served as a school administrator, coach, admissions counselor, served in the military, lawyer, civil rights activist, history teacher, and finally, now that he has retired, a friend and mentor to all. If you see him around, say hi – “ I am always looking for someone new to talk to,” Mr. Bradshaw said.
