Shakira holds both a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She is passionate about marine mammal migration patterns and behavior, as well as coral restoration and their latitudinal shifts, aspiring to pursue a Ph.D. in one of these areas. In her career as an environmental specialist for Maryland Environmental Service, she played a key role in restoring an island's ecosystem by enhancing the environment to support threatened and endangered species, improve population sizes, and manage invasive species more effectively.