Maria Puyana is an International Baccalaureate (IB) sophomore who is impassioned to begin her first year as a CavsConnect staff writer. Maria is a very open-minded person who loves to look after her friends and those around her. Thus she is sometimes referred to as the "mom" of the group. You will always find Maria standing up for equal rights and combating animal cruelty in efforts to create a better tomorrow. In her free time, Maria often reads literature, writes creative pieces and composes music. Maria loves to learn about new people and aspires to become a plastic surgeon—demonstrating her love for the STEM academic disciplines—to aide people in feeling comfortable in their own skin. You will always catch Maria promoting school spirit, especially with her involvement around the school.