When you ask Diane Minshew about her career, she doesn't just talk about teaching-she talks about answering a calling. 



A resident of Renaissance Marquis for the past three months, Diane has spent a lifetime making a difference in the lives of others. Her journey began after graduating from Berry College in 1968. The following year, she accepted her first teaching position at East Rome High School, where she taught mathematics. 

It was during those early years that an opportunity through her church, South Broad Baptist Church, would change the course of her life. Diane enrolled in an American Sign Language class sponsored by the church and soon found herself interpreting for church services. The more she learned, the more she felt drawn to the deaf community. Communicating in sign language, she discovered a passion she never expected and a sense of purpose that changed her life.

Inspired by these experiences, Diane returned to college and earned her master’s degree in teaching students with hearing impairments. She planned to continue teaching math at East Rome, but sometimes life offers surprises and opens doors that we never see coming; and they steer us exactly where we’re meant to be. When Diane went to sign her contract for the next school year, the paperwork couldn’t be found and she was asked to return the following morning. That evening, she received a phone call from the Georgia School for the Deaf, offering her a teaching position

For Diane, this was no coincidence. "I felt it was a God-given opportunity to work in the field He had called me to," she reflects. She accepted the offer, and from 1972 until her retirement in 2004, Diane devoted 32 years to the Georgia School for the Deaf. Those years were filled with both challenges and rewards. Teaching students with hearing impairments required patience, love and understanding, but the relationships Diane built made every day worthwhile. 

Many of those bonds remain strong even now. Diane still keeps in touch with several former students, a testament of the lasting impact she had and the special bonds they shared. 

Now enjoying retirement at Renaissance Marquis, Diane continues to inspire those around her with her warmth, humility, and unwavering faith. Her story is a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful paths are the ones we never plan—and that a heart willing to serve can change lives in ways that last a lifetime.