Maya Higa shocked fans when she announced she would not be taking part in Kai Cenat’s highly anticipated Streamer University 2026. Her leaving was a surprise, as the Twitch creator was one of the chosen professors for the event. But Higa said it was not a last-minute change of heart but an important conservation commitment that made her step away.
Maya Higa explains why she won’t attend Streamer University 2026
The announcement came shortly after Kai Cenat told viewers that one of the scheduled professors would no longer be able to participate. Speculation quickly spread online before Maya addressed the situation herself in a video shared on X.The Alveus Sanctuary founder admitted she was disappointed to miss the event and explained that the dates conflicted with a long-standing wildlife conservation project.She said, “Hey guys, this sucks. I don’t want to make this video at all. I’m so sad to have to do this. Some of you may have seen that Kai selected me to be a professor for Streamer University 2026, which is such an honor and so incredibly cool. I wanted to go so badly. Unfortunately, I can’t attend Streamer University this year… The reason I can’t go is because the dates conflict with a commitment I made quite some time ago to work on a conservation project involving sperm whales.”Higa has built her career online around wildlife education and environmental awareness. She started streaming on Twitch but also established Alveus Sanctuary, a nonprofit that takes care of non-releasable animals and educates viewers with live streams and conservation content.She praised Kai Cenat for selecting her as a professor despite not making it to the event and said she hopes to keep teaching people through her own platforms.She added, “I’ll definitely be watching Streamer University, cheering everyone on, and I really wish I could be there. A huge thank you to Kai. I know how big of a deal it is to be selected as a professor, and I hope I can still teach you guys about animals and our planet through my channel and the Alveus Sanctuary channels, even though I won’t be there this year.”
Kai Cenat praises Maya Higa as Streamer University looks for a replacement
Before Maya released her statement, Kai Cenat had already informed viewers that one professor would be unable to attend, though he initially chose not to reveal the reason.When discussing the situation during a livestream, Kai praised Maya’s dedication to conservation and encouraged viewers to support her decision.He said, “I’m just going to tell you who it is. The person who can’t attend is Maya. I know. I know. I want her to explain why herself, but it’s something that’s very important to her work and what she does. She’s honestly a superhero for the work she’s doing and what she’s continuing to do. I told Maya, ‘Hey, listen, I get it. Do what you’ve got to do. I’ll let you explain everything when you’re ready.'”Kai also confirmed that organizers are still deciding whether Maya’s position will be filled before the event begins.He explained, “So what’s going to happen is we’ll either replace her with another professor, you guys will see who takes her spot during orientation, or we may decide we don’t need to replace the position. I don’t know yet. We’ll see.”Maya’s decision reflects the priorities that have defined her career. While Streamer University offers one of the biggest opportunities in the content creation space, she chose to honor a conservation commitment that had been planned well in advance.The update comes just months after Higa publicly shared another deeply personal experience. In April 2026, she revealed that her longtime stalker had died by suicide, saying, “He was schizophrenic and thought we were in a relationship.”Although fans will miss seeing her at Streamer University this year, Maya’s commitment to wildlife conservation continues to remain at the center of everything she does, both on and off stream.
