Shiela grew-up in Florida, having lived in Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, New York City, and New Jersey.  After high school, she worked for Southern Bell Telephone Co. as a telephone operator and eventually, as a supervisor in the sales department of the Yellow Pages.  She worked with Pacific Bell once moving to California in 1980.  She joined AT&T Information Technologies in 1982, after the divestiture of the Bell System. The breakup of the biggest corporation in American history. 

ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS (RYLA)

Each summer thousands of young people are selected to attend Rotary-sponsored leadership camps or seminars in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, France, Argentina, Korea and numerous other countries. In an informal out-of-doors atmosphere, 50 to 75 outstanding young men and/or women spend a week in a challenging program of discussions, inspirational addresses, leadership training and social activities designed to enhance personal development, leadership skills and good citizenship. The official name of this activity is the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program (RYLA), although the event is occasionally referred to as Camp Royal, Camp Enterprise, Youth Leaders Seminars, Youth Conferences or other terms.
The RYLA program began in Australia in 1959, when young people throughout the state of Queensland were selected to meet with Princess Alexandra, the young cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. The Rotarians of Brisbane, who hosted the participants, were impressed with the quality of the young leaders. It was decided to bring youth leaders together each year for a week of social, cultural and educational activities. The RYLA program gradually grew throughout all the Rotary districts of Australia and New Zealand. In 1971, the RI Board of Directors adopted RYLA as an official program of Rotary International.