Parkside’s new Albany Policy Associate, Shakiya, started her professional career working as an educator for KIPP DC. Before moving back to New York, she spent three years teaching U.S History and Government, and World History & Geography ll, to tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders. More recently, Shakiya had the opportunity to lead high school students on a service learning expedition throughout Ecuador with the Harlem Education Activities Fund. Shakiya’s interest in policy peaked in 2019 after founding an organization, Afro Puff Co., advocating for recreational cannabis use. Through this work, she’s been able to amplify misrepresented voices in the industry while working with community organizations in New York and Washington, DC

She holds a dual B.A. in International Studies and Africana and Latino Studies from SUNY Oneonta, a Masters in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education, and a graduate certificate in Hospitality and Tourism from NYU.

In her spare time, Shakiya enjoys traveling, photographing local events, and painting.