Durham teacher lands honorable mention at Tony Awards for Excellence in Theatre Education

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A drama teacher at Jordan High School in Durham received the recognition of honorable mention in this year's Excellence in Theatre Education Award, presented by the Tony Awards.

Olivia Bellido received the recognition because of the impact she makes as a drama instructor. She teaches her students that they must be a part of something larger than themselves.

"I strive to create safe spaces for all children no matter where they come from, what they look like, or what they think their capacity is," said Bellido in a release."As a public school student with dyslexia, I knew the world was not going to be easy but if you work hard for something it feels really good to achieve it. And if you can learn to overcome, you can learn to do anything in the world."

Bellido's name and Jordan High School will appear in the Playbill for the Tony Awards and will be featured on the Tony Awards website.

"Anybody can be who they want to be. And in theater, you can be somebody new, somebody different, and then go back to being yourself," Bellido said.