Occupation: I am a STOTT Pilates instructor and am currently working on my level two certification. I own Balanced Pilates and Barre Studio, which opened in August. There I teach private sessions, small group classes, and duet classes for couples or friends. I actually have a degree in chemistry, so I worked in biotech for several years before transitioning to the world of fitness.

Family: I am married to my husband Kevin. We'll be married ten years in June. We have two girls, Charlotte, who is 6 years old, and Jacqueline, who is 3 years old.

Pets: We have a little seven-pound Yorkie-Poo. Her name is Chula, which means "cute girl" in Spanish. We've had her for ten years.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved to Newtown in the summer of 2016. My husband works in Bridgeport and my parents live in Waterbury, so we wanted to find a place in the middle. We ended up picking Newtown because our oldest daughter has special needs, and we knew we needed to be in a place with a really solid public school system.

What do you like to do in your free time? When I do have free time, I like to cook and spend time with family. I wanted to be a chef, once upon a time. On days when I'm not at work and don't have anything going on, I'll cook for three hours straight.

What is your favorite podcast? It's different every week, but usually there are two or three stories about people's personal experiences within one podcast.This American Life.

What is your favorite travel destination? I love Europe and my favorite city is Paris. Also, my husband and I visited China and Japan a few years back, and I'd like to go back to Asia to spend a little more time there.

What is the best part about Newtown? I love the tight-knit community. Since we moved here, people and other small businesses have been so warm and welcoming.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My parents really helped shape who I am. They made a lot of sacrifices for me growing up. They always made sure I went to the best schools and stressed that it was important for me to get a great education.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? Definitely Joseph Pilates. He developed the Pilates method, and I'd love to just sit down with him and pick his brain to soak up all the knowledge he could share with me.

What is your favorite musical genre? I have the most eclectic music taste. I listen to everything from electronic to pop to classic rock to hip hop to R&B. A lot of times my class playlists for the studio are set to music and they have to be a certain amount of beats per minute, so I spend a lot of time figuring out my music for the classes.

Do you have a favorite TV show? I love period pieces like Mad Men and Downton Abbey, because I love to see the culture of the times and how they dress. Another great show is Mozart in the Jungle on Amazon Prime. It's so funny. It's about this quirky guy who is the conductor for the New York Symphony. My husband's cousin is one of the costume designers for the show, so it's really fun to watch.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? Just be you. Try to be the best version of yourself, because if you try to be something you're not, it won't work.

What is something you cannot live without? Music. It's such a big part of my life. I always have music on in the car or at the studio.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Opening my business. It was a huge endeavor and actually getting it off the ground and coming to fruition was a challenge.