Mikaela was born into a second-generation immigrant family. From childhood, she was left to fend for herself: My parents were constantly away at their jobs in the IT industry. Her whole life revolved around the internet, video games, and anime culture. She learned to sew so she could make cosplay costumes, and she streamed her games on Twitch for hours on end for a small circle of friends. At 18, right after graduating from high school, Mikaela was confronted with reality: College tuition in the U.S. is exorbitant, and she didn't want to work as a waitress for minimum wage. After stumbling upon stories of successful webcam models, she decided to try her hand at this industry, adopting the stage name Miko—in honor of the Shinto priestesses from her favorite anime.
