Nearly five years ago, I stepped into the role of editor-in-chief of Exchange magazine. Candidly, it was a daunting prospect. Bonnie Neugebauer was both the magazine’s founder and its only previous editor; talk about big shoes to fill! Further, I was relatively new to the field of ECE, so while I felt confident in my skills as a writer and editor, I was wading through a great deal of new pedagogical and philosophical content and a sea of well-established personalities, not to mention several dozen ECE-specific acronyms! I needed a friend.

Along came Billie Young, a longtime Exchange magazine contributor, who purely by coincidence was one of the first authors I worked closely with, on an article that had been accepted for publication before I began my job. Billie was an absolute professional in every sense of the word—sharp, dedicated, passionate about children’s rights, equity, systems change and mentoring. She was a mover and shaker who brought an unparalleled breadth of experience to her writing.
But what I noticed most, and what mattered most to me in those early months on the job, was that Billie accepted me—novice status and all—into my new role and into our broader early childhood community. As we worked through edits and planning for future articles, she encouraged me, ­complimented me, and reminded me, “You’re doing a good job.” Her support was an oasis and I have never forgotten it.

Billie passed away in January, and you can read more about her inspiring legacy. Her death was a loss to our ECE community and, of course, to her family and dedicated circle of friends.

I hope that you will also bring a bit of Billie’s spirit into your own work. Validate others. Encourage those around you, whenever you have the chance. Be the steadfast cheerleader, the person texting a new colleague, “You’ve got this!” or the person who fires off random emails celebrating developments both big and small. Recent research from Stanford University’s organizational behavior program notes that one of the best things we can do to care for ourselves during this uncertain time is to lift up others. Each day, the researchers suggest, reach out to one person with affirmation or kindness. You will feel better, in turn.

What an opportunity. In celebrating others, we boost our own mental health. I invite you to join me on this journey. Let’s let a thousand compliments fly, a thousand positive emails whoosh into the ether, and see where it takes us! And thank you, Billie, for being our model in this important endeavor.

Sara Gilliam