Born in Kobe, Japan, Shizuka Yamagishi Campagna earned her Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics at Jochi Daigaku (Sophia University) in Tokyo. After moving to the U.S. she worked as an international marketing and business development manager for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in nuclear field, and later for the SONY Corporation. After the 9/11 incident, she returned to graduate school to earn her dual degree in early education, and education for children with special needs. While working for the Marion County Public Schools, she received various awards including the Teacher of the Year and the prestigious PRISM Award for the best secondary school math teacher in the county.

She currently enjoys her retirement playing pickleball, table tennis, Kyudo, the Japanese long bow archery, competitive shooting, and practices Qi Gong, Tai Chi and yoga. Shizuka loves to share the unique culture of Japan to anyone who is interested. She not only teaches the Japanese language, but also the cultural practices such as the Japanese Tea Ceremony, how to wear Kimono, and also how to cook most popular dishes in Japan.