Maritza Rivera matriculated to the Fashion Institute of Technology, located in New York City, as an Advertising & Communications major. After one year of study, she decided to major in Illustration and received her Bachelor of Fine Art degree. She is a published Illustrator and has exhibited and sold her paintings to the public. Her photographic work has been featured on Time Warner Cable's NY1, news channel, twelve times as Photo of the Day. Maritza is environmentally conscience and enjoys creating art with recyclable materials. She speaks Spanish and French and has taught English as a second language to adult learners. She has traveled throughout Western Europe, visited Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, and lived in Argentina. She is an advocate for animal rights and promotes a plant-based diet through her photography and writing on social media. Maritza is working on producing her own photography book. She lives in New York City.