Occupation: I used to be a driver, cook, cleaner, teacher - all the many jobs of a mom. It's full-time with no salary. Now my boys are older, and I'm going to have an empty nest soon. I'm now transforming my hobby of pottery into being my profession. I'm teaching pottery classes and producing my own work. I have always had a love for pottery, but I wound up going to college to be a veterinarian. I was a vet for about five years before I moved to the United States.

Family: My son, Akash, is 20 years old and goes to Gordon College in Massachusetts, which is north of Boston. He is in California right now for an internship and loving it. My younger son, Ravi, is 17 years old and is a senior at Newtown High School. My dear husband, Chand, and I were married in 1995. We'll be married for 22 years this December.

Pets: I just adopted two cats on August 5. They are kind of still nervous and hiding, wondering if this is their home. They came with the names Oreo and Donald. I also have a 15-year-old dog named Panj. It means "five" in Hindi. My husband is from India, and Panj is our fifth dog.

How long have you lived in Newtown? Fifteen years. We came to Newtown because of the school systems when my husband was working in Wilton.

What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy working in my studio and walking with my dog.

Do you have a favorite author? Francine Rivers. I like her book A Call In The Wind. I read books that have romance and history together and that book takes place in Roman society. It was very interesting.

What is your favorite travel destination? My mom lives in Brazil and there is no beach like the one there. It's just the place that I can really relax.

What is the best part about Newtown? I like to consider that Newtown is where I learned to be American. I learned how society runs based on community. Here is where I got more involved in service. It's home. I was born and raised in Brazil, and my husband is from India but came to the United States for college and stayed. Then his company sent him to Brazil; he caught me there, we got married there, and then we moved back. It was never in my bucket list to even visit America. My world was tiny.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? When I was a Girl Scout in Brazil I had a troop leader, and he just loved us. He was a priest, and we called him Padre Angelo, so it would be Father Angelo here. I don't even know his last name.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? It's not one person, but I read a book, and there was a movie, called The Shack. It's about a man who loses his daughter and spends a weekend with the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I thought it was so well done. I would like to have that experience with the Holy Trinity.

Who is your favorite musical artist? I listen to YouTube when I do my pottery and listen to Josh Garrels. He's not popular, but I like to listen to people who are not on the radio.

Do you have a favorite TV show? My husband and I watch House of Cards together, but if it's just me I like watching Impractical Jokers. It's stupid, but it makes me laugh.

What is your favorite food? I could live off eating Indian food, Asian food, Thai food - it's all good.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? When I was in a prayer meeting a woman shared with us a piece of advice her boss gave her. The question was, "Would you like to be always right or would you like the right results?" Sometimes you just need to let go.