Maya was born in Queens, NY, but spent the bulk of her life in northern Virginia. After attending Spelman College in Atlanta, she earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Maya spent nearly two years at The [Prince George's] Gazette, covering Laurel and then Hyattsville/Port Towns. During this time, she lived in Riverdale, Md. In 2008, Maya left the Gazette to write for educational technology publication eSchool News, where she still serves as an assistant editor. Maya moved to southwest Washington, D.C., in November 2009.