Sheryl graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa with her Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management beginning her career in the hospitality industry with HTH Corporation in Human Resources. She returned to UH Mānoa several years later to earn her Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance. Sheryl became full time Kapi'olani Community College faculty in 1996 and joined the Hospitality and Tourism department in 1998 as the department counselor.