Shay was Born in Tehran, Iran moved to the United States where she resided in Los Angeles, California at the age of 7. She graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts in Political science. She earned her Juris Doctor from University of West Los Angeles (UWLA) and is a member of the State Bar of California

Shay has been a member of the UWLA family since 2013, when she started law school and has been working with UWLA since 2017.

Today, Shay is the Vice President of Global Partnerships, Title IX Coordinator, PDSO, Director of Career Services, Director of Library at the University of West Los Angeles. Shay oversees the day-to-day operations of the International Department as a PDSO and assures relationships are sustained with global partners. Shay also oversees the compliance of Title IX and is the Title IX Coordinator for UWLA. Additionally, Shay oversees the management of the Library as well as the growth of the Career Services Department.