The true definition of a “Navy Brat”, Malia has grown up all around the world. Mainly from the East Coast, she would spend most weekends with her Mamaw & PopPop because, as any military child knows, time with family counts. Her Mamaw would foster her love of art and eventually give Malia her first camera at 12 years old. That quickly led to her love for photography. In High School, she took multiple photography classes and developed an immense appreciation for film photography. She discovered that she loves editorial photography and capturing the stories of the world around her which would help her to win one of her first awards for photography (without her teachers faith in her, she would have never been able to accomplish so much).

While attending Virginia Military Institute, she took senior photos, worked as a photographer for the school, ran the NROTC instagram page, began taking family photos, and was the head editor for visual arts for the schools art magazine, The Cadence. She would also win awards for visual arts during this time.

Upon graduation, she commissioned into the United States Navy and would move across the country, once again, to Washington State. She took the opportunity to be the Public Affairs Officer on her ship in order to continue her passion of capturing the world around her and, in the process, hopefully making someone see the beauty in themselves that she sees in them.