Shelley is a biologist, educator, photographer and storyteller. Her love of nature began at the tender age of 2 and turned into a lifelong passion and career. But it was a career that seemed unattainable as a child who struggled with undiagnosed and untreated learning disabilities. A passion for learning about nature and a Grade 5 teacher who tapped into that passion were the key elements that turned Shelley’s life around. That passion for nature, along with a large dose of grit and resilience, led Shelley to not only pursue her dream of a career in biology, but also to go on to accomplish extraordinary things. As a research scientists and university professor, Shelley was one of the pioneers of DNA barcoding – a global research initiative that uses DNA sequences to identify species. Shelley is a biologist, educator, photographer and storyteller. Her love of nature began at the tender age of 2 and turned into a lifelong passion and career. But it was a career that seemed unattainable as a child who struggled with undiagnosed and untreated learning disabilities. A passion for learning about nature and a Grade 5 teacher who tapped into that passion were the key elements that turned Shelley’s life around. That passion for nature, along with a large dose of grit and resilience, led Shelley to not only pursue her dream of a career in biology, but also to go on to accomplish extraordinary things. As a research scientists and university professor, Shelley was one of the pioneers of DNA barcoding – a global research initiative that uses DNA sequences to identify species. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx