Maria fell in love with Pilates through her dance studies at SFSU where she took the Mat class every semester with her first teacher Christy Crowley. Pilates has served as a great foundation for all of Maria's favorite activities such as dance, snowboarding, mountain climbing and gymnastics. In her time working as a gymnastics coach and dance teacher, Maria learned how to break down skills, correct body alignment in clear ways, and create a comfortable class environment.

In 2022, Maria decided to start her journey to becoming a teacher through Balanced Body here at EHS and has studied with Nancy Myers, Brigitte Brunner, Stephanie Forster and others. She hopes to finish her comprehensive certification in 2025. When she is not doing or teaching Pilates, Maria is writing songs, performing and recording for her bands Medscool, Secret Secret and others. Maria has been active and engaged with the artistic community of San Francisco for the past seven years and hopes to make Pilates more accessible for everyone, even rock stars.