In Remembrance: Ms. Juli Ann Waite

Students and colleagues said they will remember Ms. Waite for her wisdom, style, and dedication to her students.

By CYNTHIA SPRINGER and SANTA SPRINGER

The Midwood community was shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Ms. Juli Ann Waite, one of our beloved English teachers, on September 30. We knew her as a teacher, mentor, co-worker, and friend, and now in this somber moment, we take some time to reflect on her life and what we will remember most about her.

One of the things that immediately jumped to the minds of Ms. Waite’s colleagues was her dedication to her job. “She was the first in and the last out as they say,” said Principal Robert Quinlan. “She was here before her day started and she was here after her day ended. We would make a 13th and 14th period for her if we could. Her devotion to her students and Midwood is what really makes her unique.” 

“I would actually look forward to staying back [after work],” said Ms. Valisa Persaud, an English teacher. “I would always see her in the teachers’ lounge or the computer lab, and I would know that if I’m staying, Ms. Waite is around, too, someone to keep me company as I’m doing work, someone I can just kind of vent to.” 

Her students also noticed how hard-working she was. “Her passion and the fact that she cared so much about teaching her students set her apart,” said senior Sasha Smolansky. “Ms. Waite truly wanted to support us and help us grow as people.”

She was also famous for her unique style. There wasn’t one day that went by where her outfit wasn’t on point. But the one thing that always made her attire come together was her vibrant slippers.

“My first memory of her was her colorful slippers,” said Dr. Simone English, a fellow English teacher. “I’d see this tall, stately woman walking down the hallways in these colorful furry slippers. After I got to know her more, we joked about those slippers, and I’d say to her, ‘Now why would you wear your bedroom slippers to work?’ And she responded with, ‘Girl, we only got one life to live, and who says what I can and cannot wear when and where?’”

Her style inspired others. “She always had brilliant eyeshadows, and I started wearing it because of that,” said Ms. Suzane Jacobs, the assistant principal of English. “I remember calling her from CVS, and her telling me to always get reds in the palettes.”

Ms. Waite was someone who students could count on for that extra push in their academics. She never gave up on her students because she knew how successful they could become. 

“She was one of the only people who has ever believed in me and never let me give up. She taught me how to be brave and a fighter,” said senior Jamee Rudsky.

“My performance was kind of bad when I had her,” said Michelle Rivera-Perez ‘24. “But at the end of the year, she took me aside and told me that she knew my potential. She really analyzed my work ethic.” Ms. Waite’s words motivated Rivera-Perez to work harder in school, she said.

Last year, Ms. Waite and her colleague Ms. Billie Braithewaite-Jones brought a writing program to Midwood called the Teachers and Writers Collaborative. At the end of the year, Ms. Waite’s students had to present a story that they made. She was proud of her students’ efforts, and on the day of presentations, she invited Dr. Quinlan and Ms. Jacobs to see the progress they had made in the class.

“Her students produced unique pieces that they read out to the class, and they created artwork to go with it,” said Dr. Quinlan. “I just remember how proud she was listening to her students performing.”

Ms. Waite wasn’t just a teacher to her students; she was also a teacher to her English department colleagues. She was a source of knowledge, advice, and life lessons, they said.

When Mr. Jimmy Liang was struggling to figure out how to balance life and his job, Ms. Waite was there with a bit of wisdom. “She was one of the only people I opened up to for advice on how to handle the situation,” he said, “and surprisingly enough, she was the one who stressed the importance of work-life balance. She might not have practiced that herself, but she saw how much I was struggling, and she made the balance for me.” Ms. Waite was a very “selfless” person, he added.

Being around Ms. Waite and watching how she works was a model for Ms. Menat Aly in going above and beyond for her students, she said, “even if it took extra time.” “There’s a lot of value in taking the time to give feedback to students, especially when it comes to writing,” said Ms. Aly, who was impressed with the attention Ms. Waite gave to each individual writer. 

Ms. Waite was an uncommon teacher who not only cared about our academics, but also our health. Not many of us get to experience having a teacher like her, someone who puts her whole heart into her work to ensure that students become the best versions of themselves. 

Although we may not have been able to say our goodbyes, we will still be able to see her in the third floor hallways as her face smiles back at us from a photo in the display near room 347. The mark she has made in this school is unforgettable, and it will live on in Midwood’s halls.