Occupation: I am a certified empowerment life coach, and I also am accredited as a leadership coach. My business Expanding Your Visions is specifically targeted to helping teens and parents. The process is to have everyone be able to look at things from a different perspective. I use a kaleidoscope as a tool to show that there is a pattern and if it is shifted even slightly it changes. There are a lot of different ways to look at situations. What if our children saw life as an opportunity without mistakes? Imagine the possibilities!

Family: I have a husband, Dominick, and we have two children. Cynthia is 17 and Phillip is 14. Being a teen coach and having two teens, I’m really in the thick of it. It enhances my ability to be a better coach.

Pets: We have Molly Brown, a Shi-Tzu and Maltese cross, and she is the love of our lives. I think she thinks she is a person. She’s really been a welcome addition to our family. She’ll be 4 years old in July.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We’ve been here for four years in March. We came here from Ridgefield.

What do you like to do in your free time? I belong to a Bunco group in our neighborhood. I also love to quilt. I have a passion for it. My background is in the arts and I love fabric. I started quilting about ten years ago. It’s fun. I love to go to the movies. I’m a very social person, so we entertain a lot. We also like to do a lot of family things, like boating in the summer.

Do you have a favorite movie? The Bucket List. The building of friendship between those two men, sharing their insights into life. It was a wonderful movie and Morgan Freeman is an amazing actor.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I just love the people. We didn’t know anyone when we moved here four years ago. Our son plays lacrosse, and when we walked into the lacrosse team, people were so welcoming. People would have coffees and invite me. My neighbors went out of their way to make me comfortable in our neighborhood. The focus here really seems to be on our children. People are very passionate about the education and the sports programs. There are so many people who volunteer and make a difference to support our children.

Do you have a personal philosophy? I believe as a coach that you have to walk the talk. In every challenge there is an opportunity. I’m conscious of what I do in my life, so I am creating my life instead of letting it create me. I see the opportunity in everything.

What is the silliest or most dangerous thing you have done? I love adventure! One time, I was on Candlewood Lake with friends in a small boat. There’s this cliff on Candlewood where people jump off a swing rope. We watched for a while, and then I said, “We have to do that!” So we jumped out of the boat, swam to the cliff, climbed up the mountain. I jumped off and then I didn’t know when to let go of the rope. When I finally let go, I just slid down the rope and landed in the water. I thought I broke all of my fingers; but it was a blast.