This month, we lost a treasured colleague and friend with the untimely passing of Janelle Fann from natural causes. Janelle was on the Student Achievement Partners team for over five years; she spent most of that time supporting the Core Advocate Network. She was the face and voice of Student Achievement Partners for so many educators across the country, and we know that many of you had close connections and fond memories of times spent with her. While we grieve the loss of our friend, we have also been remembering countless moments of joy, humor, and inspiration we are blessed to have experienced in our time with Janelle. We hope that by sharing these memories we can help each other to heal and carry her memory with us as we move forward.
Janelle was a constant light. She was fully committed to her work, always doing what was necessary to get things done while also seamlessly supporting others. She was someone who always had your back, although writing those words does not quite capture the impact that her willingness to help and generosity had on so many of us. Her approach to support was always with a smile, and most often, without even having to ask. She knew when to step in, for anyone, for everyone.
Even more than in what Janelle did, her absence will be felt most in how she did everything. She was a fierce intellect with a brilliant, and silly, sense of humor. Her unexpected one-liners, puns, and observations about daily life brightened our every day. Janelle, through her insight and humor, expanded and illuminated how each of us sees the world.
While Janelle was so full of life and personality, she was also very humble. She would probably be surprised and amazed to know how many people she touched and how many of us are grieving her loss and thinking fondly of our favorite memories of her. We look forward to reminiscing about the experiences you shared with Janelle and celebrating her life with you. We welcome you to leave a comment below with your favorite story or anecdote celebrating her life and impact.
Many of you have asked what you might do to honor Janelle’s life. Janelle was a proud Peace Corps alumna. Please consider donating to their work. Among Janelle’s many other passions was a love of goats of all types and sizes; you might also consider donating to a rescue organization such as New Moon Farm.
Finally, Janelle loved to read. She was a passionate advocate of the public library and went every weekend - she sometimes had to make herself slow down so that she wouldn’t run out of new books to read before her next trip. Janelle was always sharing her latest book reviews (positive and negative) and loaning books to us all. Please consider a contribution (either financial or the gift of your time) to your local library to help ensure that Janelle’s bright light continues to shine.
