Sheka Ellison was born and raised in the Bronx. She attended Junior High School 22 until the eighth grade, when she applied and was accepted to A Better Chance (ABC). ABC is a program that enables gifted students to attend boarding schools outside of the city. She attended Guilford High School in Guildford, CT from 9th through 12th Grade.

Sheka is a Graduate of Duke University. She enjoyed being away at school and having the freedom to make her own mistakes and learn from them. She says, "College was an adjustment because you have to actively seek out programs that will help you socially and academically. If you haven't done well on an exam, a teacher isn't going to call you on it to see why you aren't performing up to your standards." Sheka will be the first to admit that her involvement in the CAS program helped prepare her for college. "My senior year of high school was a very stressful time for me and I remember that the staff at the CAB Girl's Club encouraged me to apply to the schools that I thought would reject me and motivated me when I lost hope. It was really reassuring for me to know that people believed in me and my abilities especially at a time when I was unsure of what I could accomplish."