Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Maya attended Morgan Park High School. After high school, she went on to college and obtained her Bachelor of Science from Alabama A&M University. While in school, she volunteered at the Huntsville Humane Society and was also part of an organization called the Global Guardians. Maya has always been passionate about youth work and mental health within the Criminal Justice system. Her passion for civic engagement began in 2018 when she participated in her first Soapbox speech and joined the Juvenile Justice Council at Mikva.