Nickname: My family and friends call me Little Bird.

Family: My mother, I have three siblings, a 5-year-old niece, and two brothers-in-law.

Pets: Not personally but the museum where I work has some, and they’re like my pet children. I take care of the reptiles and we have a ball python who’s almost 8 and a bearded dragon who’s almost 10. They do sometimes go home with me, especially if there’s power outages and they need to stay warm, or on museum outreaches.

Where do you work? I have been with EverWonder Children’s Museum for over 10 years now. I am the education and outreach coordinator, so I book programs and birthday parties, I run some of the programs, do all the outreaches, take care of the animals, set up the Art Labs that we do, and sometimes run some of the other programs and special events.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I’ve been here since 2007.

What do you like to do with your free time? I love photography. I started when I was a teenager. I’ve always loved art, but I wasn’t good at painting or drawing — my siblings were good at that — but I found the camera. I used to always take the disposable camera when we went on vacation and disappear with it, then when I got my first job I saved up and bought my first digital camera. I’ve been doing this ever since. When I moved to Newtown I joined the Flagpole Photographers Camera Club, and that was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I also like to go on long walks, especially around town. I do origami, read, listen to music, watch some good sci-fi when I can find a good series, and I like to run.

What is your favorite musical genre? That’s a hard question. It’s like asking a painter what is their favorite color. I grew up with parents who were musicians, so we got exposed to everything from Broadway to classical — classical would be my favorite, right at the top, like Baroque, or Renaissance. I do like some alternative music, ambient music, some dark wave sometimes … a little bit of everything.

What was the most recent concert you went to? Ultra Sunn, a dark wave electronic band from Belgium that I kind of got obsessed with when we were all stuck in our homes in 2020, and a group of us would meet on Zoom twice a month to do little dance parties in our living rooms. They played in New York and I went to see them. It was very fun.

Favorite TV show? I’m a huge X-Files nerd. I grew up watching that, with a babysitter who would let me sneak out on Friday night and watch it with her. Dana Scully was my idol. I wanted to be just like her. I had my hair cut when I was 13 just like her. It was the first time I saw a strong female scientist character. I think that led the way for a lot of girls and STEM. Right now I’m watching an Argentinian series on Netflix, The Eternaught (El Eternauta). I haven’t quite figured out what the premise is yet. It’s got some disaster in the not-too-distant future, and possibly aliens involved. It’s one of those shows where you think it’s something and then it turns into something else.

Favorite food? I love Indian cuisine. Newtown has some good choices, as do some of the surrounding towns. My favorite dish is Chole Peshewari, a chickpea dish that has spices, tamarind, and potatoes. I could eat that all day, every day, and the spicier the better.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Take three deep breaths. That was from my grandmother, my icon. She was a wise woman. She said a lot of common sense things, but that was my favorite. That and “Hug trees.”

Favorite color? Green, and then black.

Do you have any pet peeves? People who tailgate me.

What is something you cannot live without? My camera. I take it everywhere.

What is your favorite thing about Newtown? The weeping cherry trees on Main Street and different lawns. It’s such a short time they’re in bloom. I see them and I’m happy. They make me appreciate that every season has something pretty.

Do you have a personal credo? Try to see the world through eyes unclouded by hate.