At Franklin, Jannine Parisi was a hardworking and cherished staff member; to me personally, she was a good friend. She is best known for her beautiful smile and positive attitude that would improve anyone's day. She inspired her students to reach the potential she saw in each of them. She was patient with them; and they, in turn, thought highly of her.

Jannine was also the heart and soul of the P.E. department as the pseudo-mothering figure and mentor to each member. And she loved and treated each member as if they were part of her own family. She was a calming voice, and her humor and laughter made her friends’ and colleagues’ days better. Her warm personality was contagious.

Always happy to help other teachers, Jannine became a prominent and award-winning member of the GMU Teaching advisory council. Her love and passion for her job always inspired her co-workers and provided those new to the profession with a solid foundation to start from.

However, those who worked closest to Jannine recognized that the most important thing in her life was being a mother. She spent countless hours making sure both her girls had the skills to succeed in life, and she was so proud of the young women they had become.

As a co-worker, she inspired her colleagues to develop positive relationships with one another and with their students. As a person, she inspired us all to live our lives with a smile on our face, regardless of what was going on in our lives. She led a dignified and selfless life and will be forever missed, but never forgotten, by her Franklin family.