Snapshot: Emily Bronson
Family: My parents, Michele Bronson and Richard Baudisch; my younger brother, Charlie; and my longtime boyfriend, Joshua. I’m originally from Peru, and my parents adopted me. They adopted my brother too.
Pets: We have a whole crew of animals. We have a mini schnauzer, Gracie; two cats, Mugsy and Mickey; and a bird named Ozzie.
How long have you lived in Newtown? I’ve lived here since 2000. We used to live off Lake Zoar for a while, when I was younger, and we used to come here every summer. Then we finally officially moved here in 2000.
Career: I work at Starbucks, and just celebrated my tenth anniversary. I’m a graphic designer at heart, though. That’s what I went to school for, and I love to do that as side jobs. Being at Starbucks has given me the ability to do that because it gives great health insurance and I get to meet so many different people there. I get to learn about their lives as well, which is pretty awesome. The people I work with are awesome too. It’s crazy to think that it’s been ten years, but it doesn’t feel like it. It hasn’t ever felt like I wasn’t enjoying my time there. Every day is interesting.
Are you part of any local organizations? I’m not, but having been preoccupied with two jobs until recently, it would be interesting to see what there is out there. [One of my previous jobs] was a promotional company, so we did promotional products for a lot of the nonprofits in town, so I’ve heard of them. It would be interesting to get involved in a foundation or some sort of organization, because I see how much they give back too.
What do you like to do with your free time? I love to draw. I’m into cosplay, and making costumes. And I love baking.
What is your favorite movie genre? I really like thrillers and mystery movies.
Do you have a favorite music performer? My favorite artist is a band called Royksopp, a Scandinavian band. They do a little bit of electronica and dance music, and sometimes they’re kind of mellow — they go into a tech-jazz kind of thing. It’s really fun to listen to. I love them.
What’s the most recent concert you’ve been to? [laughs] Royksopp! I saw them at The Terminal in New York City last year.
Pet Peeves? People who lie. I know nobody really likes that, but I really do not like it. A silly pet peeve is toilet paper and under vs over. I’m an over girl.
What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? “Stop it,” in the sense of take a moment to really think before you act. Give yourself that moment to really process what’s happening. Sometimes I can be very reactionary, for better or worse, and it is just good to remember all sides of what’s going on.
What is something you cannot live without? My friends and family. I can’t live without them. They’re my driving force. They’re what helps me keep going, and be happy. I wouldn’t be who I am without them.
What is your proudest accomplishment? Probably getting and then paying off my college degree. I know that for a lot of people it’s something they still have to deal with, especially my age group, but being able to go to school and pay it off, and not have it in the back of my head as a worry, feels really good.
What is your favorite travel destination? Florida. My parents live there now — they’re snowbirds, and they have a house in Florida, and it’s always so fun with them. It’s on the Gulf coast, so it’s more mellow, lots of families live there. It’s always beautiful no matter what time of the year we go.
What is your favorite part about Newtown? I love Lake Zoar. I lived there for a while, and I just love the memories that came from that. The parks in Newtown also give me great memories of when I was a camper, and then when I became a counselor. I think Newtown is very beautiful. It helps too that there are so many local businesses vs the big build-up stuff — even though I work at Starbucks [laughs again]. I do love how local and how community-driven it is. I do love that part of this town.
What would you like to see covered in The Newtown Bee? With everything going on in the country, it can be sad to hear all the depressing news. I know that there’s a lot of feel-good stories in The Bee, and I really appreciate that. I think you guys should keep doing that, just as a break from the norm of the crazy news. More stories about the people and the good things.
Do you have a personal credo? It’s a toss-up between “Don’t worry, be happy” and the Latin amor vincit omnia, which means “Love conquers all.” I truly believe that because you need love in order to be happy, to feel like you’ve prospered.