Biography

The Teri A. DeShazo Memorial Art Scholarship is a tribute to a woman whose love and dedication to the field of arts and crafts was surpassed only by her devotion to her Christian faith. Throughout her life, Teri expressed her creative gifts through every avenue known to her - sewing, painting, pottery, floral designing and crafting. Teri shared her vision for art as well as her faith with all who knew her.

In 1970, Teri Welch graduated from high school in Monticello, Illinois, where she was the recipient of the "Most Outstanding Artist Award." She continued her art education at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois, where she won the "Parkland College President Christmas Card Design Contest" before graduating in 1973.

That same year, she married her high school sweetheart Phil DeShazo and joined him in South Korea where he was stationed with the U.S. Army. Soon after arriving, Teri began teaching art classes in their one-room hooch to the Korean children living nearby. After returning to the States, Teri began working as a florist and she and Phil welcomed their first child in 1976.

In 1983 after the births of two more children, Teri established her own craft business known as "God's Stuff Unlimited". She promoted this business through craft shows for six years until returning to college in 1989. Because of her strong desire to work with children, she decided to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education and graduated cum laude from Greenville College in 1991.

During her teaching career, Teri held full-time positions in the school districts of Greenville (1990-91), Mulberry Grove (1991-94), and Brownstown (1994-2002). She also completed her student teaching requirements at Altamont and substituted in most of the school systems within the regional area.

Teri received several recognitions for her design skills during her career. Most notable was the winnning of the statewide "1997 Illinois Education Association Pin Design Contest". The pin she designed was subsequently produced and worn by all the Illinois representatives to the IEA National Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Two of Teri's original oil paintings are in print and have been dispersed nationwide. The prints are entitled "Follow Me" and "Rapture". They hang in several local hospital waiting rooms and churches. Later in her life Teri began to focus on large scale fiber art and designed several banners and flags to be used during praise and worship sessions. Many of these have been shared throughout Illinois with churches and organizations with which Teri was involved.

Teri was a tireless advocate for her students to further their art development and was deeply concerned about the future of art education. When her youngest daughter chose to pursue an art major, Teri was disappointed in the lack of art scholarships available in the area. Aware of these concerns after her passing, Phil and their three children Dana, Matthew and Christina established an art scholarship in her memory. Through this legacy Teri's favorite scripture is being fulfilled: she "shall not die, but live, to declare the works of the Lord." Psalms 118:17, KJV