Shakinar graduated from Pomona College with a BA in Public Policy Analysis, serving as the Senior Class President, overseeing a class budget of $30,000 and leading numerous subcommittees to create and curate experiences that enhanced student life and fostered community on campus. She also sat on the student senate and the budget committee overseeing over $250,000 of student funds, and acted as a voting member on various committees with the Board of Trustees. She interned with the Montana Democratic Party during the 2024 election cycle, supporting grassroots organising efforts with the aim of increasing civic engagement in rural regions.

Shakinar's interests in leadership and policy led her to cities such as Brussels, Rome, and Paris, where she studied the European Union's policy frameworks and governance structures with think tanks, EU policy advisers, and officials. Shakinar and her sister founded an organisation supporting children and pregnant mothers in Kenyan prisons. Shakinar is a Rhodes scholar.