Honoring the First Lay Teachers of St. Martin de Porres Catholic School

As Women's History Month draws to a close, we warmly honor some of the first lay teachers at St. Martin de Porres Catholic School. These pioneering women educators, including the late Sadie Rousseau, Ella Mae Jackson Stuart, and Corinne Jackson Drisker, brought inspiration and dedication to the school when they began teaching there in the mid-1950s.

Building on this legacy, Mrs. Sadie Rousseau, who attended Winston-Salem Teachers College and later earned her degree from Benedict College, while also pursuing additional studies at North Carolina A&T University, began her remarkable 30-year journey in education at Blessed Martin de Porres Catholic School, where she taught second grade in the mid-1950s. Her passion for education later led her to teaching roles at Booker T. Washington High School and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. One cherished memory from her teaching years was a May Day activity in which she dressed as “The Old Lady in a Shoe.” The wooden shoe, crafted by Booker T. Washington carpentry students, allowed children to joyfully peek out and read nursery rhymes. Born on December 17, 1923, Mrs. Sadie Rousseau touched many lives before departing on December 26, 2021, leaving behind a treasured legacy.

Ella Mae Jackson Stuart and Corinne Jackson Drisker, who were sisters, also began teaching at Blessed Martin de Porres Catholic School in the mid-1950s as fourth-grade teachers. Stuart and Drisker attended St. Martin de Porres Catholic School themselves and later graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and Benedict College. After their time at St. Martin de Porres, both went on to have long and impactful careers in education. Stuart was an elementary school teacher for more than 40 years, holding positions at schools in Georgia and New Jersey. Drisker later relocated to New Jersey and joined the New Jersey Board of Education. She also worked as an elementary school teacher for over 35 years, including positions at Roosevelt School and 17th Avenue School in New Jersey.

Their legacy of care and service continued through the many generations of family members who attended and worked at the school. Among them was their beloved late sister, Serena Jackson Brown, born November 3, 1917 – October 18,2004, who served as a teacher assistant at St. Martin de Porres Catholic School. Stuart and Drisker were also the great-great-aunts of Mike Glymph, Jr., the current chair of the St. Martin de Porres Alumni Catholic School Foundation. Ella Mae Jackson Stuart, born December 4, 1928 – June 8, 1999, and Corinne Jackson Drisker, born February 3, 1933 – March 17, 1997, both left behind legacies that enrich their families and the community.

Above: Sadie Rousseau is pictured to the left and Corinne Jackson Drisker is pictured to the right.