Snapshot: Katherine Will
Occupation: I am a lunch lady part-time. I’ve been doing that for two years. I started out working at Reed Intermediate School, and about five weeks ago, I began working at Hawley Elementary School. I interact with the kids and take care of their nutrition. I also work at Newtown Power Equipment and have been there for almost a year.
Family: My grandmother — my mom’s mom — worked at Fairfield Hills. My grandmother — my dad’s mom — worked at Danbury Hospital. They were both nurses. My mom, Maureen, is the director of communications for the Town of Newtown. My dad, John, works at Newtown Power Equipment and does sales. He is married to my stepmom, Shannon, who works at The Newtown Bee.
Pets: Timber is Shannon and my dad’s dog. He’s an Australian shepherd. We also have a black cat named Dickens.
How long have you lived in Newtown? I was born and raised in Newtown, so 27 years. I went to school here and graduated in 2009. Newtown is home.
What do you like to do in your free time? I am an avid Minecraft player. I’m a mod on a Minecraft server.
Do you have a favorite book or author? My favorite author is Pittacus Lore, who wrote the I Am Number Four series. I’m currently reading a bunch of books like Game of Thrones and Fifty Shades of Grey. Other books I like are Speak and A Sucky Love Story.
What is your favorite travel destination? I love New Hampshire. I have family up there. I like Maine, too, and I want to go back to New Orleans to explore everything. I want to go to Bourbon Street.
What is the best part about Newtown? The Newtown Bee, the flagpole in the road, The General Store, and The General Store’s Flagpole sandwich.
Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My grandparents, my parents, my family, and the hairdresser Tabatha Coffey, who I grew up watching on TV.
If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? Right now, I love Peter Dinklage, and I was just listening to one of his speeches to colleges from 2012. Also, I love Lin-Manuel Miranda.
What is your favorite musical genre? I listen to everything essentially — rap, country, hip hop. Broadway shaped me, and I love Hamilton and In The Heights.
Do you have a favorite TV show? I love the Food Network. My favorite was Alton Brown’s show Good Eats.
What is your favorite food? The Flagpole [sandwich]. Besides that, it would be cream of turkey from the Blue Colony Diner — fun fact, you can only get it on Sunday — and the Baja Blast from Taco Bell.
What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? My Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Mrs [Donna] Pagé would say, “Treat others the way you would want to be treated.”
What is something you cannot live without? My phone, my watch, my Vans and Ugg boots, keys, and car.
What is your proudest accomplishment? Becoming a certified nurse’s assistant (CNA) and also becoming a lunch lady.