Maria started her journey as an educator during undergrad at the University of Oregon, working as a teaching assistant at a childcare center for two years before stepping into an aftercare coordinator role. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, she moved back to her hometown of Portland, Oregon and took on the role of lead teacher in a toddler classroom. Since moving to Seattle in 2022, Maria has been lucky enough to help manage, reimagine, and build up the Special Programs department at another Seattle-based independent school. Maria joined Meridian in 2026. When she’s not working, you can find her playing on two different coed rec-league soccer teams, line dancing at Little Red Hen, finding karaoke around the city, or hyper-focused on one of the many crafts she’s trying (and sometimes failing) to master.
