Ms. Maija studied fine arts at Wayne State University in Detroit, where she grew up with her father and grandmother (who was a Waldorf teacher at the Detroit Waldorf School). She grew up deeply inspired by art, as her father worked for the Detroit Institute of Arts & she spent countless days there. His love for Waldorf had a huge impact on her childhood, and she looks back with gratitude for how whimsical her father made even the most monotonous task (they had a tomten in their house for a year or so with whom she traded raisins for poetry; a tiny fairy swing in the backyard her father helped her create; and countless afternoons spent playing with beeswax). Ms. Maija is also a practicing artist, with pieces exhibited in MOCAD (the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit). She has been working in early childhood education for three years — her first experience was co-leading a kindergarten classroom at a school that served low-income families — yet her true career with children began with her first job at thirteen as the neighborhood babysitter. Meditation and yoga are an important aspect of her life, and she tries to spend as much time outside as possible, whether it’s swimming, hiking, or climbing trees. Cooking is her other passion, as she’s constantly trying new recipes with ingredients from her garden. Ms. Maija is looking forward to bringing all of these experiences, interests, and passions to the kindergarten children of the Red Rose Classroom.
