Goodbye
Rebeca Quinto, MA
I never imagined I would become a teacher. Psychology had always fascinated me. I was curious about how people grow, and how emotional well-being influences every part of our lives. Teaching was never part of my plan. But then I found Cheerful Helpers.
When I first visited, I saw something different. I saw a place that understood that before children are ready to learn academically in a group setting, they need to feel emotionally safe. I saw a school that recognized the importance of self-regulation, relationships, and the essential role families play in a child’s development. I watched therapists, teachers, and parents working together with compassion and intention to help children grow and learn. In that moment, my path changed.
What began as an unexpected opportunity became one of the greatest privileges of my life.
For the past seventeen years, I have had the honor of being a Special Education teacher at Cheerful Helpers School. I have been incredibly fortunate to witness
profound transformations in children and their families. Watching my colleagues grow into professionals dedicated to helping others has been just as meaningful as witnessing the growth of the children and families we serve.
When I look back, I realize that Cheerful Helpers has always been a place of transformation. Children grow. Parents grow. Trainees grow. And through all of those relationships, I have grown too.
Throughout these seventeen years, I have also witnessed countless goodbyes. As therapists, we often remind children that adults do not leave because of something a child did. Adults decide when it is their time to move on. Goodbyes are a natural part of life. Now it is my turn to say goodbye.
No one person or one event made me leave. This decision has been growing quietly inside me for some time. After seventeen years, I feel that I have grown as much as I could in this chapter of my life. I have shared what I could share, learned what I needed to learn, and given as much of myself as I was able to give.
Cheerful Helpers taught me that each of us has the power to create healthier emotional and relational lives. That power lies in becoming aware of ourselves, taking responsibility for our choices, and having the courage to grow. When we do, we transform not only ourselves but the lives of those around us.
Cheerful Helpers is a difficult place to arrive at, a challenging place to stay, and perhaps an even harder place to leave. The work asks a great deal from everyone who walks through its doors. But that is also what makes it so meaningful. Knowing when to leave is part of honoring the journey. Even when there is uncertainty about what comes next. Even when it hurts.
As I look back, I will remember the laughter, the play, the tears, the disagreements, the repairs, the growth, the celebrations, and the countless moments of quiet connection that often mattered the most.
I will forever be grateful to every child and every family who trusted me enough to allow me into their lives. There are few greater privileges than being invited into someone’s most vulnerable moments and being allowed to walk beside them for part of their journey.
To my colleagues, thank you. Thank you for your wisdom, your generosity, your compassion, your humor, and your unwavering commitment to children. I have learned from each of you, and I will carry those lessons with me wherever I go.
Goodbyes are never easy. They hurt because something meaningful has existed. They remind us that we have loved, learned, grown, and shared something that mattered.
So yes, I am sad. But I am also profoundly grateful. Grateful for every remarkable child who courageously showed us their true selves.
Grateful for every family who allowed themselves to be vulnerable. Grateful for every colleague whose dedication inspired me to become a better teacher and a better person.
As I leave, one hope remains close to my heart: that every child has the opportunity to receive the kind of social-emotional education that changes lives—not only academic learning, but the opportunity to understand themselves, regulate their emotions, build healthy relationships, and discover the strength that already exists within them.
To the families who continue their journey at Cheerful Helpers, know that you are in extraordinary hands. This community is filled with talented, thoughtful, and deeply
dedicated professionals who care about your children and your families with all their hearts.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your stories.
It has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
