The Bridge City High School Alumni Association has selected two outstanding alumni for the 2024 Distinguished Alumni award. Cindy Claybar and Judge John Gothia were presented with plaque at the high school homecoming football game October 18 then again at the annual Classic Cardinal Reunion on October 19. The entertainment for the reunion will be provided by Kree Harrison an American Idol runner-up for season 12.
Cindy Sandefer Claybar is the daughter of the late Morris and Virginia Sandefer. She attended Bridge City ISD from upper elementary through graduation in May 1969. At Lamar University, she received bachelor’s degrees in All Levels Art, Elementary Self-Contained Social Studies/Science, Elementary Art Specialist, and Generic Special Education.
Cindy married Ambrose Claybar, Jr. in 1972. They have a daughter, Angelique Claybar; a son and daughter-in law, Joey, and Melanie Claybar; and two grandsons, Carter, and Colton Claybar. Her siblings, Morris Sandefer and Cathy Sandefer Hatton are also graduates of Bridge City High School. Cindy taught at area schools for 45 years and retired from LCM-CISD in 2012. Her summer art programs have flourished in Orange County for over forty summers. She used the tuition from these programs to donate back toward student art supplies, scholarships, and services. Through Cindy’s passion for teaching environmental conservation, she helped develop two outdoor environmental classrooms and was recognized in National Park Magazine for a Federal Grants awarded to Bridge City Intermediate for C.A.R.E Park. She organized the first March for Parks in Texas. With the help of her coworkers, students, the park director, Donna Scales, and volunteers, she initiated the development of an interpretive nature trail for people with physical challenges at Claiborne West Park in Orange, County. The project received a twenty-five-thousand-dollar grant from the Stark Foundation.
Cindy has received many awards throughout her career, including Teacher of the Year for the Veterans of Foreign War Post 27775 in Orange TX and The Lower Sabine Neches Soil and Water Conservation District. Also, she was the Conservation Teacher of the Year in District IV for the State of Texas. Most recently, she was recognized for the Monsignor Richard DeStefano Faithful Servant Award by Honorable Bishop David Toups, of the Diocese of Beaumont, TX. Cindy is proud of her student’s accomplishments over the years, including numerous winners in the Treasures of the Texas Coast Children’s Art Contest sponsored by the Texas General Land Office, ( with a Grand Prize Winner) and Houston Rodeo Youth Art Show advancing students on scholarships to the Gazelle School of Art in Houston. Students have won countless awards from the Stark Museum of Art in Orange, TX , awards were received from the Veteran’s Day Art Contest, Texas State awards received from Orange Lyon’s Club Art Shows, Environmental awards from Shangri La Eco- Fest Art Contests, Orange, TX , awards from South Texas State Fair of Beaumont , and lastly, awards from the Orange Chapter of Catholic Daughters of America Art Contests. The most important things Cindy hopes she has instilled in her students, along with the love of art, The love of Community Service. “What you do for yourself dies with you when you leave this world, what you do for others and community exists far after you are gone.” Sir Ken Robinson
John Gothia graduated from Bridge City High School in 1980 then attended Lamar University. He worked for Altria for 32 years as a sales manager then retired in 2017. He was elected Orange County Commissioner Pct 3 in 2017 and served two years until he was elected Orange County Judge in 2019 and currently holds that position.
Gothia is married to Glynis Wright, also a BCHS graduate and a retired teacher who taught at Bridge City Elementary. They have two sons, Hunter who is a graduate of Lamar Institute of Technology and Forrest, a graduate of Texas A&M University Law School. The Gothias are proud grandparents of Emily Gothia. The Gothia family are active members of Faith Methodist Church in Orange.
Gothia is a past President for Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission and was named Citizen of the Year in 2012 by the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce. John is currently involved in many organizations including Sabine Chapter Ducks Unlimited, American Red Cross Club, and past chairman of United Way. He is also a past Chairman of the Board for the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce and served as co- chairman for the Bassmaster Elite Fishing Tournaments since 2013. John has always been passionate about his faith, family, and community.
Kree Harrison will perform at the private class reunion sponsored by the Bridge City High School Alumni Association. Harrison was born in Port Arthur. Her family moved to Woodville in a home that was given to them by their grandmother. At three, Harrison asked her pastor if she could sing during church. The request was accepted and after she sang, her pastor commented, “I was expecting Jesus Loves Me, but she belted out El Shaddai by Amy Grant. I knew then this child had a special gift.”
Over the next several years, Harrison sang for churches, rodeos, weddings, and competitions. At eight, she was the opening act for R&B performer Percy Sledge. At nine, she won “Artist of the Year” from Kirbyville Playhouse, and at ten, she sang on The Rosie O’Donnell Show and was invited back on three other occasions. She sang in country playhouses all over the area, as a special guest at a Warren Talent Show, and she was second-place winner in the New York Apollo competition held in Houston.
In 2001 Harrison’s father died in a plane crash. After sixth grade, her family moved to Nashville to pursue her singing career. In 2009 Harrison’s mother, Kathy Harrison Viator, was killed in a traffic collision. Kree’s maternal grandfather was Wilson Roberts, former chief of police of Bridge City. Her maternal grandmother, Beverly Mire, still lives in the Groves area. Her brothers Michael B. Johnson and Corey Harrison both live in Texas.
Kree’s sister, Laci Johnson Smart, of Tennessee, pushed Kree to audition for American Idol. On the show, not only did she debut her single, “All Cried Out,” she also had the chance to perform “Where the Blacktop Ends” with Idol judge and Grand Ole Opry member Keith Urban.
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