Occupation: I’m a college instructor. I work part time as an ESL — English as a Second Language — instructor at Naugatuck Valley Community College. I’ve taught reading, writing, grammar, and oral communication courses there for the past three years. I also just finished by master’s degree at Central Connecticut University in TESOL, which is Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Family: My husband, Bruce, who has lived in Newtown for 30 years and raised his children, Heather and Bruce, here. We have four grandchildren whom I’m crazy about. We spend a lot of time together. I have my own daughter, Michelle, who I’m very close with. She’s 25 and graduated from Bucknell University with a biology and history double major. She’s working at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia right now as a research assistant.

Pets: We don’t have any. But my stepson is about to get a German shepard puppy and we’re all very excited about that.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I’ve lived here for six years. I was living in Skaneateles, N.Y. It’s one of the Finger Lakes. I have a beautiful Victorian home there that I’m renting out to friends now. My family is from there and I raised my daughter there, but then I fell in love with a man from here!

What do you like to do in your free time? I love being outdoors, riding my bike, hiking or canoeing. I love kayaking, too, and I’m just learning how. I love to read and I love to dig around in the dirt. My husband and I are taking a Berlitz Spanish course together online this summer. I always want to be learning.

Do you have a favorite author or book? I probably have about 50. I love the old classics. This spring, I taught To Kill A Mockingbird. It’s beautifully written and one of my favorite classics. I’m reading more world literature now to help me understand my students better, too. Right now I’m reading The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. She’s a strong activist in India. I also love Jared Diamond, who has written The Third Chimpanzee. He’s an excellent writer.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Probably my most exciting trip was to Singapore. I spent three weeks there and I visited Bali while I was there. It has beautiful, tropical plants and trees and warm, friendly people. I also loved Austria and Lichtenstein when I was there a few years ago. The people are wonderful and the Linzertorte is great! On my trip to Tahiti, I visited Morea and Bora-Bora. I agree with James Michener; he thought it was the most beautiful place in the world.

What is the best thing about Newtown? The library. The librarians seem to love what they do and their researchers are lovely assistants. It’s a wonderful environment. I sometime meet my students there for tutoring sessions.

If you could spend a day with anyone at all, who would it be? Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a smart, strong woman and she cared about the little people. She was the eyes and ears for her husband as she traveled about the country. She was a forward thinking woman and she saw that women could play much stronger roles in our communities.

What is your personal philosophy? The two best things about life are loving and learning, probably in that order. I believe in close family connections. That’s what keeps us grounded despite a changing world.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years? I hope I’m still taking courses and traveling. Perhaps I’ll be a grandmother for my daughter’s children. I hope to still be really active, riding my bike and skiing. I hope to be able to do more community service at that time. I’m happiest when I’m helping people.