Maria grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Humanities from the College of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University. Most recently, she taught 2nd grade in the Lansing School District. Previously, she worked in the College of Education at Michigan State University as a Program Coordinator for the Master of Arts in Educational Technology program.

She is passionate about working with youth in the community from elementary through college. She strives to advance students in their education and guide them to all available resources. In 2017, Maria founded a non-profit organization called CALY (Capital Area Latina Youth). The mission of CALY is to create a network of Lansing-area Latina youth to foster empowerment, education, cultural advancement, and leadership among Latina youth in middle school and high school. Working with youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds is Maria’s life's work.

In 2023 she joined the College as the Outreach, Advising, and Retention Coordinator.