While her work is rooted in climate and environmental science, Maiya is also deeply interested in history—particularly the stories of Georgia’s Revolutionary era and how geography, land, and local identity shaped the fight for independence. That perspective brings a thoughtful, place-based lens to her work, grounded in pride for her home state and a belief that understanding the past is essential to understanding the present.

Raised near the Davidson–Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve in Lithonia, Georgia, Maiya developed an early connection to the place that shaped both her academic path and her approach to storytelling. She attended Arabia Mountain High School Academy of Engineering, Medicine, and Environmental Studies, where she deepened her understanding of the natural world and the forces that shape human communities. She later studied geography and atmospheric science at the University of Missouri–Columbia, gaining media experience through internships at KOMU, WAGA, WSB-TV, and The Weather Channel.