Her friends would describe her as “Mother Maya,” wise and mature. How fitting that she was her high school’s ambassador. This take-charge sensibility was invaluable when her mother was diagnosed with a benign, but large, brain tumor and she was thrust into the position of caretaker after the surgery. “I remember nights spent by her bedside with a flashlight in my hand, reading ancient books on brain functions,” Maya recalls. “I immersed myself in neuroscience, solidifying my passion and contribution to this field.”

As the youngest in her family, Maya often felt like an only child. With her brothers out of school and her parents working demanding jobs, she spent much of her time alone with relatives who didn’t speak English. “This early experience of solitude and imaginative exploration not only fueled my thirst for STEM, but also shaped the way I approach problem-solving today. It taught me how to think independently.”