As she aged into her pre-teen years, she was given the task of keeping her peers in line, as many of her peers were given as well. They told her, as they told other peers, that if she did well, she would be one of the ones in charge one day.
And well she did. She reported every wrongdoing, she followed every order, made every sacrifice. Crossed her t's and dotted her i's.

Until one day, she was in a rebellious mood

This day, She was to endure bloodspill as sacrifice and repentance for her sins.
They'd cut her hair short, down to just above her shoulders (hair legnth was a sign of status), and gave her the new name Maka to be "reborn" under; to leave Anja behind.
This day forward, she was much more cutthroat, cruel and loyal.

As she and her hair (ergo her status) grew, day she was trusted with initiations.
They trusted her to go out into the world.

At this point, she was thoroughly broken in.

Out in the world, she meets Vrethi, and attempts to initiate her into the org. She is unsuccessful, but the friendship she formed with Vrethi before ever harming her left something in her that desired more than what the org gave her.

This set off a chain of events that ended with Maka losing her status.
She was in line for an "exorcism", and at this time she was used as an object/energy source for spiritual endeavors. She was shunned by her old friends, who all still had their glorious long hair.

That was until, she escaped.