Shondale, the oldest of four sisters, grew up in the Texas panhandle, where she developed a unique set of skills and interests. She spent her childhood working on cars, playing sports, branding cattle, and listening to music. As a cheerleader, she was always on the go and loved being in the spotlight, participating in prose, poetry, and duet acting as part of the high school speech team. However, she never considered herself an actress, instead dreaming of becoming a famous singer and dancer as a child.
After graduating from West Texas State University with a degree in business administration and a minor in English, Shondale moved to California, where she worked in public accounting for one of the Big 4 firms. But she soon grew bored with accounting and began taking acting and modeling classes, earning an honorable mention in both runway modeling and dramatic acting at IMTA. Newly engaged, she put her career change on hold to raise a family and work in hospital administration and as a turnaround consultant.
In 2003, Shondale took a break from business and volunteered to teach English to children in grades 1-6 in Zhangjiagang, China. She spent six months living in China with her daughter, Jaz Kemp, and in 2005, she spent a year designing and building a "castle" home. During this time, she also started taking Taekwondo lessons. This break from her office job reminded Shondale of her love for learning new things, creating, and sharing her creativity. She became involved in community theater, taking on both lead and supporting roles, and rekindled her desire for a career change.
Today, Shondale is involved in various aspects of the arts, including working on set, being on stage, singing, directing, and more. She is a member of Inner Circle Theater, The Avery Schreiber Playhouse, and the LA Comedy Connection, and continues to pursue her passion for the arts.
