Sheikh was an exchange student at Santa Fe High School under the US State Department-sponsored KL-YES program and was set to return home on June 10, 2018 after completing the program. 
Sheikh alikuwa ni mwanafunzi aliyekuwa Marekani kwenye mpango wa elimu nje ya nchi katika sekondari ya juu ya Santa Fe iliyopo chini ya Idara ya udhamini wa Ikulu ya Marekani programu ya KL-YES na alikuwa amepanga kurudi nyumbani tarehe 10, Juni 2018.