"All of us in the School are dreading the day we have to go there and she will not be present,” noted Firdose Vandrevala, chairman and managing trustee of the Maneckji Cooper Education Trust School (MCETS), when referring to the unexpected demise of their 53-year-old principal Jesica Daruwala who passed away on April 21, 2021. Appreciating that she was "meticulous, diligent, organized and committed,” in a mail to Parsiana on April 24, the chairman remarked that "her energy levels were boundless… She knew almost all students by name and was genuinely concerned for their welfare and development... What was refreshing was her openness to new ideas, willingness to learn and change.”
Inset: Jesica Daruwala; above: Maneckji Cooper School
Former principal of MCETS Kashmira Gundevia voiced appreciation that Daruwala who took over as principal last year had "respect for every person she spoke to… be it students, support staff, teachers.” Always willing to shoulder additional responsibilities, she encouraged extracurricular activities among the students and was known to give free coaching to weak students at her home. Convinced that "religion lies in being truthful and honest, whenever faced with a tough situation, she would tell herself ‘I have to do what is right for students,’” added Gundevia. Gool Ghadiali, yet another former principal of the School observed that Daruwala "did an excellent job of disciplining students… As a principal, she was the iron woman.”
Principal of The J. B. Petit (JBP) High School for Girls Benaifer Kutar remembered Daruwala visiting "our school as a senior ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) examiner every year before she was appointed principal.” She came across as being "kind, courteous, humble, ever helpful, selfless and personable…”
With a masters in arts, a bachelor of education and a diploma in school management, after a stint in Lady Engineer School Daruwala had joined MCETS as a teacher in the early 2000s and was made vice principal in 2015. She is survived by her mother Lily Anklesaria, husband Manchershaw who manages the World Zoroastrian Organisation’s Bharda House in Udvada and daughter Jennifer who is studying homeopathy.