Passing the Passion: Tony Desjardins

Tony Desjardins is a passionate teacher who passes this love of teaching to his students at Texas State Technical College.
Desjardins is also a passionate learner. He received his bachelor’s degree from University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree in education technology from UT Brownsville, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston.
He was able to take most of his doctorate classes at UT Brownsville because of a cooperative program and had to travel to Houston for a few classes.
Desjardins grew up in Brownsville and moved to Austin, where he got his first teaching job at Austin High School. One of his students was Barbara Bush, the daughter of then Gov. George Bush. Desjardins was in Austin for 12 years before he and his wife moved back to Brownsville.
The couple have three children: a third grader, a kindergartner and a 3-year-old.
Desjardins is currently the program chair for the Education and Training Program at TSTC and loves every minute of his job.
“You don’t teach for the money,” he laughed. “You do it for the potential to mold and shape minds; it’s a passion.”
Desjardins said teachers have the ability to influence their students in a positive or a negative way. Within the Education and Training Program at TSTC, Desjardins helps 250 to 350 students each year achieve their dreams of having a career. The students may achieve an associate’s degree or certificate as teacher’s aides or paraprofessionals, and can go on through an articulation program with Texas A&M Kingsville to receive a bachelor’s degree in education and stay at TSTC the whole time.
Desjardins said many of his students are first generation college attendees. Many are also single moms and non-traditional students that get their degree over a period of time, and are very proud of their achievements.
Desjardins said getting a certificate or associate’s degree is an attainable goal for many of his students, and he said they need that.