Snapshot: Kate Petersen

Family: My husband, Eli; and we have two boys, William and Wesley.

Pets: We have a ten-year-old black Lab named Persia and a four-year-old golden-Lab cross named Reba, and she’s actually my son’s service dog. We also have a cat named Ginny.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We’ve been here 4½ years.

Career: I work at Affinity Esports in Sandy Hook, and I am a program director there. I run gaming programs for youth, and I also work on a program where we run a gaming club for young adults with mental health struggles, to try and help with community and socialization for them.

What do you like to do with your free time? I grow orchids. It’s fun, and rewarding. It requires patience. I also play video games and I paint, a lot.

Do you have a favorite book? Yes, Anxious People by Frederic Bachman. I gave my copy away. I miss it.

Who or what has been the greatest influence on your life? My son’s autism diagnosis when he was two years old has definitely changed the course of my life. Not to make it sound negative, I’ve learned a tremendous amount in the past five years.

What is the most recent movie you’ve seen in the theater? Barbie. I see no movies ever and then I saw Barbie twice. I had a lot of people that I needed to go with, so I went two times. I laughed my head off, both times.

Do you have a favorite music album? Rainbow by Kesha. It’s really good.

What is something you cannot live without? Laughter.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Starting a new career at age 35.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? My mom told me a long, long time ago: have a career, not just a job, and make sure it’s something you love.

Favorite color? This is a game I play with my son! He asks me my favorite color every day and it changes every day. Today it’s green. I have a hard time committing to a single color. Yesterday it was silver, because it was snowing.

What is your favorite travel destination? St Thomas.

What is your favorite part about Newtown? It’s so beautiful. You drive around and everything’s stunning, every season. There’s always something — it’s always so pretty here.

Do you have a personal credo or motto? There’s a song lyric by Chris Stapleton that I love: “Nobody wins afraid of losing.” That speaks to me.