Family: My husband, Chris; daughter Tatum, who is 10, almost 11; and son Brek, 9.

Pets: We have a dog, a goldendoodle named Sunny; two cats, Whiskey and Sangria; and a snake, named Maizy, because she’s a corn snake and “maize” is corn in Spanish. Maizy is my daughter’s pet.

How long have you lived in Newtown? Five years, in Sandy Hook. We lived in Colorado for 15 years before that, and I was born and raised in New Fairfield.

What do you do for work? I was a full-time mom until both kids went to elementary school, and then I went back to school, Fairfield University, to get my master’s. I just graduated in May with my master’s in clinical mental health counseling. I am now an LPC, a licensed professional counselor, so I have started working part-time with clients and I will start full-time in the fall, with a group practice in Monroe. I’m going to enjoy the summer with my kids first.

I also work part-time for Adventure Recovery, which does adventure therapy for clients who are in substance abuse recovery. I’m certified for white water rafting and rock climbing, so I bring clients out to do adventures, and teach them what to be doing instead of drugs, basically.

What do you like to do in your free time? I’m very active outdoors. Snowboarding is one of my favorite things to do. I love to hike, go camping, mountain biking, swimming, anything on the river. I’m swift water rescue certified. Also rock climbing; I’m a member of the indoor rock climbing gym in Fairfield.

Are you part of any organizations? I’ve been a member of Newtown Allies For Change since it started in 2020, and now I am the chair. It’s been cool to see my kids getting involved, and now we’ve started a youth group for Newtown Allies For Change. We just did our first meeting at the end of the school year, to see how it went, and it went great. We’ll start regular monthly meetings in August.

At Fairfield University I was also part of Chi Sigma Iota, the national counseling honor society. That was big for me because it was bringing in adventure therapy and my DEI work in Newtown Allies For Change.

Who or what has been the greatest influence on your life? My mom. She went back and got her master’s — her nurse practitioner degree — when I was in high school. She was an RN before that, and went back and got that whole thing, so I watched that happen and I think that was a big inspiration to me. I’m hoping standing up there on the stage, and having my daughter watch me, I’m hoping that will have a similar influence to her.

What is the most recent movie you saw in the theater? A Quiet Place: Day One — the new one, which is technically the third one but it’s a prequel to the others. It was really good.

Favorite actor? I really love John Cena.

Favorite movie genre? Definitely rom-coms, especially the Christmas ones.

Do you have any pet peeves? Group projects.

Favorite color? Turquoise.

What is something you cannot live without? My chai tea lattes from Starbucks. They know my order. They just have to see me walk in and they’re like, “Kate, here you go.”

If you could spend the day with one person, living or deceased, who would you choose and why? Joan Mulholland. She was one of those huge activists for the Civil Rights Movement, one of the Freedom Riders, and we actually got to interview her for Newtown Allies For Change. It was the most incredible experience I’ve ever had. The work that she has done for social justice, without even batting an eye, she just dove into it because she just thought, “Why would you not do it?” She’s such an inspirational person to talk to. I got to talk with her already, but I would love to spend a full day with her.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Costa Rica. I’ve been there three times, and it hits everything perfectly. You get the actual cultural experience, you’re not just sitting at a resort and not experiencing anything. You get to experience their culture, and the beach, and the rain forest. You can go cliff jumping, rappelling down waterfalls, and you can go surfing at the beach.

What is your favorite thing about Newtown? Coming from Colorado, the thing I appreciate most is the small-town feel here. You can stand in line somewhere, next to a stranger, and by the time you’re done in line you’ve found out about that person’s uncle, who worked at some place you knew. You find out about people, in a friendly way. Living in Colorado, everyone had smiles on their faces but you didn’t actually meet people, and learn about people. In a small town like Newtown, you get that feeling.

What would you like to see covered, or covered more, in The Newtown Bee? I would love to see more coverage of Newtown Allies For Change, and more coverage of activism in town.

Do you have a personal credo? “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble,” by John Lewis. That really is how I lead my life and try to teach my kids to lead their lives.