9-Year Old Maya Delgado Launches HeARTS of Maya To Fund Arts Education For Children

From a young age, 9-year-old Maya Delgado has had a love of the performing arts and tells people she was “born to entertain and make people smile.” While most kids her age are playing video games or riding their bikes around the neighborhood, Maya spends her time receiving training in voice, guitar, songwriting, stage presence, choreography, acting, voice-over, musicals, theater and improv. Whew, I'm tired just typing all that out! Maya is particularly committed to performing for causes that support our military and has performed the National Anthem and provided entertainment for Snowball Express; serving Children of our Fallen Military Heroes, Dallas Stars; games for military families and veterans, America’s Future Series 5-Star Awards Military Symposium among many others. This little spitfire has recently launched a new charitable foundation called HeARTS of Maya, a 501c3 non-profit that she personally founded and created. The mission of HeARTS of Maya is to share Maya’s love of the arts by providing educational scholarships to youth in financial need who demonstrate a desire to pursue music, acting, and/or dance.

Maya Delgado with OSC's Cynthia Smoot
at TOOTSIES, April 2016

Through her experiences and professional training, Maya has been inspired by the power of the performing arts. From a young age she has been able to recognize her peers that demonstrate extreme talent and passion, however don’t have the financial resources to pay for professional training. That recognition was the inspiration behind HeARTS of Maya. “I want to be a great entertainer but my true calling is to help others find the art in their hearts,” said Maya of her foundation.

Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer for 7-Eleven Inc., and Maya’s father, will serve on the HeARTS of Maya (HOM) Board of Directors, along with Maya’s mother Monica Ochoa and an array of other notable directors including prominent Dallas attorney, and former SMU School of Law professor, Forrest Smith, and Dallas’ Chris Ann Seay, Children’s Casting Director for Hasbro.

Maya has hand-selected her HOM Youth Advisory Board, all of whom are between the ages of 9-17 and are active role models within the community. They have been selected to promote the foundation’s mission, goals and accomplishments and will have an active role in evaluating and determining which applicants will be awarded. Advisory members include Dallas’ Grant Knoche from Kidz Bop, Skylar Smith, daughter of Pat and Emmitt Smith, Ava Tiffany, championship dancer, Dylan Forrest, Citizen Award Recipient, and Austin and Ben Lux, National Debate Champions. The HeARTS of Maya launch luncheon and private reception will be held at Bent Tree Country Club on May 21st and will be hosted by Maya alongside Mr. Forrest Smith, Mrs. Chris Ann Seay, The Law Offices of Friedman and Feiger and Mr. and Mrs. Jesus Delgado-Jenkins. For information about HeARTS of Maya or to donate to the cause please visit http://www.heartsofmaya.org/. On social media, follow @heartsofmaya on Twitter and Instagram.