Maria was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and she has always had a love for the dramatics. She has been teaching for CYT for the last 13 years and has loved it more than anything else she has ever been a part of. Maria is a graduate from ULL with a bachelors degree in Spanish and Criminal justice. In 2017 she started a non profit to fight against human trafficking. She has been a music teacher for the last 21 years. She feels it is a beautiful opportunity to be able to teach children instruments, acting and vocals, and then to watch them as they grow and develop in their skill.