Shantaija graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Applied Engineering in December 2018, and will be "walking" at graduation in May 2019. Although Shantaija initially struggled as a college student, and took some time off between her Sophomore and Junior years, she remained committed to accomplishing her dream of earning her degree. Throughout college, Shantaija worked several jobs in order to make ends meet. This experience resulted in her quickly getting a job as a packaging designer for a major cosmetics company in New York City.