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Meet the Team
Dedicated & Certified
Our fearless leader, Ms. Jackie is the heart and soul of Sunshine’s Place. Jackie is a career educator, with 50 years of experience working in public schools, special education programs, and community organizations. As a professor at Wheelock College and Lesley University for 15 years, Jackie prepared aspiring student teachers with an emphasis on understanding and supporting children from racially, culturally, and economically diverse backgrounds. Jackie returned home 25 years ago with the goal of creating a community-based early education and care program in the neighborhood where she was raised. Jackie is dedicated to creating a safe and healthy space for all children to become life-long learners, to have access to equal opportunities to flourish, to care for others as well as themselves, and to aspire to be successful, engaged leaders/members of their communities. What Jackie wants most for our students is for them to value their independence, know their worth, develop a thirst for knowledge and a willingness to explore the world they live with excitement, enthusiasm, and a sense of wonder.
As any of our staff, students, and families will tell you, Yakiria’s strength, perseverance, and dedication to Sunshine’s Place shine brightly every day! Yakiria has been working with children for over 20 years and has been with Sunshine’s Place for 11 years. Yakiria has been a teacher in every one of our classrooms and is always there to lend a hand wherever she is needed. During her 20 years as an educator, Yaki has worked with children in every stage of development, from infancy through age 13. She is an EEC certified teacher and director and also has her CDA certification. Yakiria loves working with children and watching them grow and develop across the many stages of their early years. While at Sunshine’s Place, Yakiria’s hope is that every child feels safe to explore, learn, and grow. Yakiria feels strongly that every child at Sunshine’s Place deserves to feel loved and valued.
Yakiria Garcia
Director
Sara Alexander, MA
Education Specialist
Sara has been working with children for 19 years in various capacities including in the public school setting, in private preschools, Head Start, early intervention, and at a therapeutic riding center. Sara earned her Master’s in Clinical Psychology in 2014 and afterward worked as an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant for 10 years. Sara specializes in working with children with trauma and learning differences and in supporting families to obtain the services their children need to succeed. Sara is an ECMH-E® Early Childhood Family Specialist and is trained in the Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency Model (ARC) for treating trauma, Brazelton Touchpoints, and the Pyramid Model. Sara sees incredible value in investing time and love into the future leaders of our community. She hopes that students graduating from Sunshine’s Place learn the importance of kindness, community, and supporting one another.
Robbie was a university administrative assistant for 19 years and has been with Sunshine’s Place for 8 years. Robbie provides administrative support to the leadership team and to the program as a whole, including accounting, budgeting, and maintaining employee/family records. While Robbie does not work directly with children, she was born and raised in the community served by Sunshine’s Place. She has raised 3 children of her own as well as many grandchildren. Robbie’s hope is that the children at Sunshine’s Place learn the importance of respecting themselves and others; additionally, Robbie wants each child to know how special they are and recognize their own amazing gifts to share with others.
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Roberta “Robbie” Gomes
Administrative Assistant
Jessica L. Abreu Ortiz
Infant/Toddler Teacher
Jessica has been working with children for 25 years and has been in the childcare field in Massachusetts for 6 years. She is an EEC certified teacher and is working toward her CDA certification. Jessica enjoys giving her infant and toddler students the love and nurturing that they need to grow and flourish. She loves celebrating each child’s milestones, both the big and the small. Jessica recognizes that infants and toddlers are at a delicate and critical stage in their brain development, making her role as an infant/toddler teacher even more important. Her goal as an educator is to teach children how to regulate their emotions and instill a sense of emotional stability. The safety and happiness of her students are Jessica’s top priorities! Jessica is adored by students and staff alike here at Sunshine’s Place!
Daivili is a kind and compassionate teacher with 1 year of experience in the early childhood field. She has a genuine passion for working with children and loves being a part of their learning journey. Daivili loves watching each child’s confidence grow and observing the spark in their eyes when they enjoy what they are learning. Daivili strives to take each child’s perspective and to express empathy in every situation. She hopes to have a positive impact both at Sunshine’s Place and in the greater global community as she helps nurture the next generation of community leaders! While she may be one of the newest members of our team, Daivili has already become an essential part of the Sunshine’s Place team!
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Daivili Cruz
Infant/Toddler Teacher Assistant
Nerissa Goodine
Toddler/Pre-K Teacher
Nerissa has worked with children for almost 40 years and was a Kindergarten teacher in the Philippines for 27 years. She is an EEC certified teacher and is working toward her CDA certification. Nerissa sees her passion for education as a gift that requires patience, dedication, and love- all of which she has in abundance! Nerissa enjoys supporting her student’s growth toward being a better version of themselves everyday. As an educator, Nerissa is particularly interested in the emotional development of her students as she believes this serves as the foundation of building relationships with children and families. Nerissa is dedicated to helping her students understand and label their emotions, while also guiding them as they develop emotional regulation. Nerissa cultivates a healthy environment in her classroom that focuses on kindness and friendship skills. Nerissa’s calm and soothing demeanor is the perfect complement to the high energy of our toddler/pre-k classroom!
Jennifer has been an educator since 2009 and has a true passion for teaching. She is an EEC certified teacher and also has her CDA certification. Jennifer is a dynamic, loving, and energetic educator, with a strong foundation in social-emotional teaching practices. Jennifer loves engaging with her students and dedicates herself to building a trusting and loving relationship with each of her students. Jennifer believes that teaching is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding careers! Jennifer’s focus on social-emotional learning is informed by her knowledge of how crucial development in his domain is during the early years of life. Jennifer knows that the skills she teaches her students provides them with critical foundations for lifelong development and learning as well as key language skills. No matter which classroom Jennifer goes into, she is a student, family, and staff favorite!
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Jennifer Goncalves
Preschool Teacher
Ana Colon-Torres
Preschool Teacher
Ana has worked with children for over 20 years. She is an EEC certified teacher and has been in the childcare field for 4 years. Ana loves watching her students grow and develop and works hard to create a safe and supportive environment for them to flourish within. Ana is dedicated to showing her students that they are loved, cared for, and safe while they are in her care so that they can learn, grow, and find success. One of her favorite aspects of working with children is seeing how each child expresses themselves with their unique personalities. Ana especially enjoys promoting the physical development of her students, including both gross- and fine-motor development. She finds helping children learn how to hold their pencils and putting small pieces together incredibly rewarding and important. Ana feels strongly that children learn best through play. While in her care, Ana encourages her students to be themselves. Ana’s creativity, passion for teaching, and love for her students are evident to anyone who enters her classroom!
Gaby has been working at Sunshine’s Place for just under a year. Gaby is full of energy and is always willing to jump in wherever she is needed in the center. She is a team-player and always has a bright smile on her face! Don’t be surprised if you hear our students yelling “Ms. Gaby!” when she arrives in the afternoon. Gaby works with children because she genuinely enjoys spending time with them. Gaby loves having the opportunity to have a positive impact on her students’ lives. Gaby’s goals as an educator are to help children learn how to interact with others and how to build friendships with their peers. Gaby believes that, while our students are young, it is critical to teach them social skills. She believes that it is essential to help children develop skills for communication and learn how to work with others to resolve conflicts so that they can handle any conflict that comes their way. Gaby’s warmth and kindness brighten every classroom she enters!
Gaby Cordon
Toddler Teacher Assistant
Yaraliz Perez
Teacher Assistant
Yaraliz is a strong and dynamic young teacher who joined our team one year ago. She enjoys serving as a person that her students can count on, play with, and express themselves to. Her goals as an educator are to teach children the life skills they need to be successful and to help them learn how to deal with their emotions. She feels strongly that teaching children positive ways to deal with their emotions will benefit her students both in the short- and long-term. Yara’s students adore her and positively light up when they see her. She has strong classroom management skills and amazes us with her creativity! She is truly wise beyond her years. It is not uncommon to see her students crowding around her for a group hug upon her arrival each afternoon!
Yariel is the second half of our amazing school-age classroom team! A college student and consummate professional, Yariel has been a wonderful addition to the Sunshine’s Place team for 3 years. Yariel enjoys playing sports with his students and playing one-on-one with them. It is not uncommon to hear our students chatting with Yariel about their day while playing air hockey or Legos with him! Yariel’s quiet strength has been the perfect addition to our center’s community. He is willing to support in any way that is needed, both in and out of the classroom. From mentoring his school-aged students to being our go-to handyman and resident tech-support, Yariel is the most amazing team-player that we could ever ask for!
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Yariel Perez
School-Age Group Leader