Sherise L. Shields is a graduate of The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, Calif. She is also a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, La., where she holds a B.A. degree in English with a dual minor in biology and chemistry. Sherise has held research internships in the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md. and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis' Twin and Family Study. She also interned with the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC in Ichthyology, cataloging artifacts, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in a Pre-Engineering program. She was a student in the Biotechnology strand as a teen at her high school, and placed in her county science fair competition. Upon graduation from Xavier University, she interned at newspapers across the country, including USA TODAY, where she wrote health, news, and features stories. This was after receiving the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society internship in Print Journalism through GANNETT. She also wrote on a freelance basis for local newspapers in the Washington, DC area. While completing coursework at FIDM, and following graduation, Sherise worked alongside designers and sales representatives in the Los Angeles garment district, honing her skills in the fashion industry. She has also worked as a Costume Designer for the Los Angeles Academy of Performing Arts in tandem with St. James' Episcopal School. She held a work-study position at Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood, Calif., and has danced as a soloist with Jean-Paul Samputu at the Rwandan Embassy in Washington, DC. She has also worked as a runway model and mentor for inner-city youth. Being multi-faceted in the sciences, education and the arts, Sherise has a unique ability to excel in various skillsets, and enjoys honing into whatever she is working on at any given moment.