Maria is a licensed speech-language pathologist who works with elementary-aged students in a pediatric educational setting in Columbus, Ohio. She is passionate about helping children become confident communicators and believes that every child deserves the opportunity to develop the skills needed to connect, learn, and thrive. Maria provides evidence-based evaluation and therapy through both individual and small-group sessions, tailoring treatment to each student's unique strengths and needs.

Maria earned her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from The Ohio University. During graduate school, she conducted research in the Deglutition Technologies & Digital Health (DegluTech) Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Cagla Kantarcigil. She was a co-author and poster presenter for the research project Swallowing Impairments in Myasthenia Gravis: A Scoping Review.

She completed a clinical externship at the Dayton VA Medical Center, where she gained experience across acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient services, and the Community Living Center, providing care in long-term care and hospice/palliative settings. Her clinical training included evaluating and treating adults with swallowing, speech, language, cognitive-communication, and voice disorders. She also gained experience assisting with videofluoroscopic swallow studies, observing videostroboscopy, participating in post-laryngectomy voice restoration, performing acoustic and aerodynamic voice assessments, administering patient-reported outcome measures, and providing gender-affirming voice care.

In her current role, Maria enjoys helping students strengthen their communication skills so they can succeed in the classroom, on the playground, and at home. She values building meaningful relationships with her students and collaborating with families and educators to support each child's growth. Her goal is to create a positive, engaging environment where children feel encouraged, capable, and empowered to reach their fullest potential.