Terry Mathews-DeSant '55

  • Former students remember Terry Mathews-DeSant, who graduated from Rush-Henrietta in 1955, as a teacher who made learning more meaningful.

    Terry worked in the Rush-Henrietta Central School District for 22 years as a French and Spanish teacher. Even today, she is known for her ability to make learning a foreign language fun and engaging. She remains committed to bringing other cultures to life for students.

    Whether seeing a film, eating at a restaurant, or hosting an exchange student, Terry gave students the opportunity to become fully invested in the language they studied. She loves to travel and often would bring back many items from her trips abroad – from authentic costumes to dinnerware – to enhance her students' education. Former students attest to the impact she has had on the lives of thousands of students in the Rush-Henrietta community during her teaching career.

    Although Terry retired from the district in 1995, she remains active in several international cultural exchange programs. Since 1959, she has been involved with the American Teenage Diplomat program. In addition, for the past 40 years, she has been a leader in the International Sister Cities of Rochester Committee. She has served as chairwoman of the Rennes-Rochester Committee since 1990, winning the respect of leaders locally and in France.

    Terry has three children with her late husband, Jerry Mathews. She has 10 grandchildren and is married to Guy DeSant.

    We congratulate Terry Matthews-DeSant on her induction into the Rush-Henrietta Alumni Council Hall of Fame.
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