Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Shontierra obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in African American Studies. Since then, she has gained a variety of experience within the nonprofit sector as a case manager of displaced youth, coordinating out-of-school time (OST) programs, learning specialist and more. In her most recent role as a Partnership Specialist at Communities in Schools, Shontierra was able to bridge the gap between schools and community organizations by providing over 300 no-cost youth programs to 200+ schools. Shontierra’s passion for engaging with youth in her community brought her to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy.