Maria was ranked 10th amongst 158 high school classmates with a 4.35 GPA. She is a Florida State University student majoring in Finance and Management Information Systems, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2021.

During her time at FSU, Maria has been a part of the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE), a department at FSU that supports the journey of first-generation, low socioeconomic, minority college students.

One of her highlights at FSU was studying abroad in Valencia, Spain, taking business courses, and volunteering at a local middle school teaching students English. Upon returning to Tallahassee, she began to get heavily involved on campus, interning as a Senior Mock Interview Mentor for the Career Center, serving on the Student Leadership Council for the College of Business, becoming a brother of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, joining Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, and working as a consultant and promoted as a Team Lead for the FSU Consulting Group. During the summer, she has had the opportunity to participate in various programs with elite universities, such as the IDDEAS program with Stanford and Berkley and the PLUS program with Duke Law. These two programs are catered to minorities seeking to pursue a higher-level degree. During the pandemic, Maria secured a summer experience as a CARE Summer Bridge Program Ambassador, where she was able to help bridge the gap from high school to college for over 300 incoming first-generation minority students. Post-graduation, Maria plans to attend law school, receive her Juris Doctorate, and subsequently work in corporate law.