Shelley was born and raised in Zuni Pueblo. Her clans are Kwalashi Bitchi:kwe (Crow) and Ana:kwe awan cha’le (child of Tobacco). She joined the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project in the summer of 2016. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and Graphic Design, as well as a background in Zuni pottery, she hopes to share her knowledge of the Zuni culture and art to help the youth in their path to becoming strong resilient individuals.