Occupation: I'm the secretary for the Newtown Land Use Agency [recently reidentified as the Planning Department]. I've been there since September of 2015. I applied there when I was looking for a change. I thought I was going to do culinary, and then I decided to stay local. So I went to Naugatuck Valley, then decided not to go to school. I was the manager of Dunkin' Donuts for almost four years prior to that.

Family: I live with my mom, Mary Ellen; my dad, Richard; and my older brother, Andre. We spend a lot of times outdoors together. We definitely are New England bugs. We like to be up north and outside. We have a lot of fun together.

Pets: I don't currently have pets. When I move out of my parents house I want to have enough land where I can have a small farm. I really want cows, goats, and chickens, and definitely a lot of dogs. I love animals. I've volunteered over at the local animal shelter. I belong to the 4H Club, an agricultural club, and I had rabbits growing up.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We have been here since 2003. I grew up in Oxford, not so far away. Oxford didn't have a high school at the time, so we originally came here for the school system.

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to be outdoors; I love snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing, wake-boarding, all sorts of stuff. And eating food!

Do you have a favorite book or author? I read Daughter of Australia by Harmony Verna, who is actually from Newtown. I thoroughly enjoyed that book. I was satisfied with reading it and didn't want it to end. I like that it goes through the journey of a bunch of different characters, so you can kind of find bits and pieces of everybody that you can connect to versus one main character.

What is your favorite travel destination? I'm not much of a traveler, but I go up north to New Hampshire and Vermont a lot. I've been to Florida a handful of times recently, because that's where my boyfriend is stationed. If I had to choose somewhere that I could just take off and go to, it would be Iceland. I am fascinated with the climate and the environment they have up there.

What is the best part about Newtown? All of Pete Leone's delis - you really can't go wrong with Misty Vale or the General Store. They are my favorite places to meet and catch up with my friends when they come home from school.

My relationship with my family. Having a really tight bond, we've learned about overcoming any obstacles that we may have, learning to move on from certain situations, and to grow closer with people.Who or what has been the greatest influence in your life?

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? My best friend Daniella. We've been friends for eight years. She's studying at Loyola [University Maryland]. It's not too far away, but we don't really get to spend a whole lot of time together. So, I would love to spend a whole day and catch up.

Who are your favorite musical artists? There's a bunch. Paul Simon and Van Morrison are my top two. I've been listening to a lot of Zac Brown Band recently. I also like The Mamas & The Papas and Motown.

I try to avoid getting sucked into series, but I do like cooking shows and DIY HGTV shows.Do you have a favorite TV show?

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.