Family: I have a younger brother who’s four years younger than me, and he’s studying meteorology so he is storm chasing tornadoes and all the wild weather out west; and my mom, who I currently live with.

Work: I have two roles at Trinity Episcopal Church. I’m the children’s minister, working with kids between kindergarten and sixth grade mostly. We do Sunday School every week, and we also do programs throughout the year that are tailored to different seasons. We just did a Christmas pageant and also Advent Merriment, which was arts and crafts, Advent wreath making, hot chocolate, cookie decorating, and lots of fun stuff for kids after church.

In my liturgical role I am currently a deacon, so I serve during the service on Sunday mornings and assist in a liturgical role. I will soon also become a priest, so I will hold a slightly different role in that sense.

I was ordained as a deacon in June 2025, and I started here in July as a transitional deacon. My role here has been to kind of serve as a bridge between the church and the world, so I kind of say “This is what’s going on in our community and this is how we can help or get involved.” I will be ordained as a priest this weekend. My role will then switch to more pastoral care and addressing the needs of the parish itself.

Are you a member of any clubs, organizations and/or communities of faith? I am a member of the Episcopal Church. I am also a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts. I was part of Girl Scouts going back to my elementary school days, so that has been a strong part of the formation of my life. I have very fond memories of that as well.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I had two things I wanted to be. One was a writer, and I actually went to school for my undergrad for creative writing. I haven’t published anything but that has still been a dream of mine that I carry. The other thing was, as a child I also wanted to be a minister, so I guess you could say I’m living my childhood dream.

I remember in elementary school we had a contest where we had to write a poem about what we wanted to be when we grew up, and I wrote about wanting to be a priest. I think that was the turning point for me, where I knew that there was something about this that I didn’t understand but I should think more about. It’s kind of lived in my heart ever since.

What do you like to do in your free time? I do like to write, usually short stories or poetry. I also love nature, so I love taking walks on hiking trails around Connecticut, like at the state parks. I also love beaches so even in the winter I like going to walk on a beach. We have some pretty nice beaches in this area, I will say.

Favorite author? My longtime favorite author has been Laura Ingalls Wilder. It’s a series that I’ve had and read since childhood, and I’ve always enjoyed it. Each time I read something about her life or her stories there’s always something new that pops out and strikes me.

Favorite music genre? I love the current hits, like pop country. I also enjoy listening to contemporary Christian music, things like Casting Crowns and MercyMe.

Who would you like to be stuck in an elevator with? Tying it back to my favorite author, I would like to be stuck with Michael Landon, who created the Little House on the Prairie series, the TV show. I would love to learn more about what that process was like. I have heard that he always ended the work day so everyone could go home for dinner with their families, and that is something I find so inspirational. He prioritized people over the production.

Favorite movie genre? I like a good comedy, or an action comedy.

Favorite color? I go back and forth depending on the day. It’s either purple or pink, either a light purple or a very dark pink depending on the day. I feel like it depends on your mood.

What is something you cannot live without? My bookcase full of books. It goes back to the color question — you have to have different books for different moods.

What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment was graduating with my undergrad in 2020. I graduated with two degrees in four years. I did a Creative Writing English major, but then my second major, I designed it all on my own. I did an individualized major in Environmental Studies, and I think graduating having just completed that process of really starting from scratch, and being able to tailor what my interests were with what I was hoping to learn, and having professors who really supported me through that process, was that moment of being able to celebrate “I finally did it.”

Favorite food? Ice cream, and my favorite type is cookie dough.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? For a place I’ve been to before, I’d say Cape Cod, specifically the elbow part of Cape Cod has been a favorite of mine. That’s a family vacation we do almost every year. For a place I haven’t traveled to yet, I would love to go to somewhere in France that’s not Paris. I’ve been to Paris briefly, but now I want to check out the countryside.

What is your favorite thing about Newtown? I love the community presence of Main Street. I was fortunate enough to be here for Halloween, and I was part of the event at Trinity where we opened our doors to everyone. To just see all of these people come out to support an event, from businesses to residents who live here, I can really tell you have a vibrant community presence. I was told about it, but it’s one of those things where until you see it, you just can’t imagine it.

Do you have a personal credo? Love God and love others. In a world where there is so much hatred and people talking bad about one another, I think the biggest thing we can do is to love on other people. I just try to be kind whenever I can.