Gianna Porcek ‘20, Arts and Entertainment Editor

On Sunday, December 8th, Newark Academy learned of the passing of one of Newark Academy’s own, Jessica DeSanta. A much-loved English teacher and confidant for many students, Dr. DeSanta was best known for her bright smile and positive attitude, regardless of what she was battling behind the scenes. 

During the spring of 2017, Dr. DeSanta had taken a medical leave to focus on her battle with breast cancer. In between medical leaves, Dr. DeSanta was as upbeat and lively as ever, teaching courses such as American Literature and Senior IB English. Last summer, Dr. DeSanta learned that her cancer had returned, and she took another medical leave this fall.

When not teaching at Newark Academy, Dr. DeSanta loved writing, skiing, travelling, and trying new foods. A memorial Facebook post by her brother Tim describes her ability to recite what every family member at the table ordered in the last decade, down to every last detail. She also loved animals very much, particularly her dog, Maple. 

Dr. DeSanta graduated magna cum laude from Connecticut College with a dual B.A. in English and Music with a concentration in Piano Performance. According to many who knew her, Dr. DeSanta was an incredible piano player; she even worked for Steinway & Sons before earning her Masters degree at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2008. In 2015, she became the first person in her family to obtain a Ph.D. Shortly after, Dr. DeSanta joined the Newark Academy community in 2017.

As one of her own advisees and students, I found that Dr. DeSanta always began class and advisor groups by focusing on her students’ needs, not about the content or academic day ahead of us. Her interactions with her students were centered around their lives and wellbeing. As Drew Flanagan ‘19 says, “Dr. DeSanta would want to hear about our day and how we were feeling before even discussing the assigned reading from the previous night. Often, she would connect what we were reading to our lives as seniors which showed just how personal and effective she was as a teacher.” What made Dr. DeSanta’s classes so unique was her ability to transform the content from clumps of fictional words into life lessons or impactful messages that her students could use during the most crucial periods of their lives. In the words of Zach Kessel ‘19, Dr. DeSanta’s class was “an oasis in the desert that can be senior fall.”

Beyond her accomplishments and teaching reputation, Dr. DeSanta’s personality and caring nature is what stood out most to me and to those who knew her. Dr. DeSanta always made sure advisor group was a time where we could voice our stressors or opinions in a safe environment. All of us would often stay beyond the 8:25 bell, just to continue conversing with her. As Julie Marcano ‘20, another DeSanta advisee, puts it, “The best thing about her was that she always focused on my mental health and always made that the top priority whenever she checked in with me. No matter what other big problems that I had going on, she somehow made them seem so small.” Her students saw her as a friend to lean on during hard times and a smiling face who could always bring a breath of fresh air to their days. Suie Choi ‘20, an advisee and student of Dr. DeSanta’s, says, “Dr. DeSanta was a great teacher, advisor, and friend. I will never forget the happiness and confidence she has instilled in our advisor group during times of stress through her beaming positivity.”

Not only can this impact be seen in students, but in teachers as well. As Ms. Gabb, a close friend of DeSanta’s and former English teacher at Newark Academy, says, “Though we are leaving differently, I arrived at the same door, on the same day, at the exact same moment, seven years ago, as she, and for that I will always feel most lucky.” 

Whether she was voicing her scheme about how she would buy her dog, Maple, without her husband’s approval or expressing her love for Harry Potter, Dr. DeSanta was always vibrantly talking with students about common interests. The colorful artwork and inspirational sayings on the walls of Room 1 will always show her joy, beauty, positivity, and warm personality. While Dr. DeSanta will be missed for inspiring laughter, happiness, and hope, what we must take away from her legacy at Newark Academy is her undeniable strength, selflessness, and capacity for love. As her sister Meghen DeSanta said, “No disease or darkness could ever outrun the amount of joy and love that coursed through Jess’s life touching everything in its path.”

There is no better way to describe Dr. DeSanta’s presence and legacy here than in the words of Ms. Mahoney: an “unquantifiable gift.”