Occupation: I'm a product development scientist at PepsiCo. I've been doing that for three years. I went to school at Clemson for food science and worked at a flavor house before I got to Pepsi, so it was definitely something I wanted to pursue. I never thought I'd be in beverage, but I love it so much. It's totally where I want to be.

Family: I live with my mom, Kathy, and my dad, Keith, in Newtown. My brother Scott and sister-in-law, Andrea, live in Charlotte, N.C.

Pets: I have a rescue dog, Stella. She's a character. She was from Texas and was coming up to go to a shelter in New Fairfield, but we intercepted and picked her up at LaGuardia Airport. That was about five years ago.

How long have you lived in Newtown? Besides going to school and being a South Carolina resident for a little bit, I've lived in Newtown all my whole life - so 25 years.

What do you like to do in your free time? I am one of the girl's lacrosse coaches at Newtown High School. In my free time I also like doing anything outside. I work out, hike, ski, bike, and I golf all the time.

Do you have a favorite book? To Kill a Mockingbird. It's always a classic go-to. Also, The Catcher in the Rye. Those are definitely the top two. There's just so much to both of them.

What is your favorite travel destination? A beach or a mountain. Somewhere to relax where you can cabana, drink, and have fun in the water. I enjoy anywhere that has its own beauty and culture. Since I get to travel for work, it's really cool getting to submerge myself in other cultures for a week or two at a time. You really learn a lot.

The General Store. I love to get the Castle Hill or a bacon, egg, and cheese on a wrap with a hash brown. I get that wrap at least twice a week for breakfast.

What is the best part about Newtown?

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My parents, because of all their life lessons they've instilled in my brother and me. They raised us to be good people, to do well in the community, to be kind and considerate, and told us to work hard.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose? My best friend.

Who is your favorite musical artist? I listen to a whole bunch of stuff, really anything catchy on the radio. Anything but metal. I really like The Chainsmokers.

Do you have a favorite TV show? Game of Thrones. The acting is so good, and I read some of the books. It's really well done and has everything you could want.

What is your favorite food? Being a food scientist, that's a difficult question, because I love trying new foods all the time. My standby though is definitely eggs. I could eat them every day.

What is something you cannot live without? Coffee and my dog.

What is your proudest accomplishment? I won an award at Pepsi a couple months into working there, so it was very quickly into my career. It was a really cool moment to be recognized and have people know me that I'd never even met before.