Like many others, Shelley didn’t feel like she fit into the educational system she grew up in. After a convoluted educational journey, Shelley finally received her bachelor’s degree in special education (University of Alberta), then promptly hopped on a Greyhound bus and moved to NYC to kick off her teaching career. After two years of teaching in New York, Shelley moved again, making a home in Vancouver, BC,  as a resource support teacher for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

On Canada's west coast, Shelley received her master's (Simon Fraser University) and Ph.D. (University of British Columbia), which focused on learning about and researching inclusive education theory and practices. Her award-winning Ph.D. dissertation investigated how to support teachers to increase access to secondary grade-level academic curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities. She now draws from her experience as a student, teacher, and researcher to advocate and promote inclusion and equity for all learners.