Shanda received her dual B.S. in Biology and Microbiology from Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS and her Masters in Genetic Counseling degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Preceding her genetic counseling education, she worked as a genetic counseling assistant at one of the major clinical testing laboratories with experience in troubleshooting prenatal and rare diagnosis testing issues. Shanda chose to join Greater Washington Maternal-Fetal Medicine to support families in navigating prenatal and pre-conceptional genetic testing options within a highly experienced team office. Prior to her move to Maryland in 2016, Shanda worked as a substitute teacher and caregiver at an adult group home in Kansas. She currently lives in the DC area with her husband and two cats. When not working, she enjoys spending time exploring the many outdoor activities offered in the DMV or you can find her trying new recipes in her kitchen.