Rachel N. Quinn lived her life guided by the virtue of kindness. She stressed it to her students at Bretton Woods Elementary School in Hauppauge, where her fifth-grade class webpage prominently displays an illustration that states, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” The Patchogue resident wrote she wanted two ideas to be constantly reflected on during the school year: to “always put forth your best effort and a growth mindset”; and to “choose kindness.”
Like many children, Quinn had been bullied at times in school, said her best friend of 21 years, Caitlyn Hansen of Hauppauge. “I think when Rachel decided to become a teacher, she wanted to instill that kindness in every student of hers, in every person she met,” said Hansen, 27. “I think that was something she just always wanted to embody herself and to share with others.”
